Enchanted in Storybrooke
by IrishBella
Summary: This is my take on the early life of Narissa from Enchanted. Occurs before the events in Enchanted. Narissa is young (in her late teens-ish). This takes place while Emma is the Dark One, Zelena is still pregnant, but that's the extent of canon. Rating: Mild violence and references to previous abuse
1. Chapter 1

It's been a weird day for Henry Mills. And that's saying something.

He's the son of the Evil Queen, the Savior; grandson of Snow White, Prince Charming, Rumplestiltskin, and the Queen of Hearts; nephew of the Wicked Witch; and lives in a town full of fairy tale characters. There's a magical mishap weekly, but this takes the cake.

Henry decided to take the long way home from school today. He wanted to walk by the docks, the sound of the ocean waves hitting the rocks always soothed him. His mom used to bring him here when he was young. She always told him it was a good place to think. He needed that right now. His moms were fighting again and he didn't know what to do. They're friends; of course he knows that they're friends and they would do _anything_ for him but he hates when they have these spats and don't talk for a few days.

He needed to think of a way to get them to talk again so the shoreline was where he needed to be.

His shoes scuffed against the sidewalk and he trudged toward one of the benches. That's when he heard it, a whimper. His ears perked and he lifted his head, scanning the area. _Where did that come from?_ He begins to look around and sees something, or rather someone, sitting on the rocks, feet brushing against the surface of the water. He subconsciously adjusts his coat closer to him as the bitter spring wind bites against his cheeks. Slowly, he moves closer to this person against the rocks. He notices her long brown hair making its way down her back; she's wearing what look like leggings that are somehow not wet while the bottoms brush against the water. _Magic?_ He wonders to himself as he moves closer. Now he can see the goosebumps spread across her arms and back. "Um excuse me?" he asks softly, hoping not to startle the woman.

She turns, eyes wide, but says nothing.

Henry can see she's young. Just a bit older than he is. He wonders why he's never seen her before. Even if the kids go to the high school, he still knows them; Storybrooke is a small town. But he's never seen her before. "Are you alright?" he asks, moving closer to her.

"I-" she pauses and looks back to the water, confusion etched across her face, "I'm not sure," she says, puzzled.

"Who are you?" he asks as he looks at her.

She looks down at her knees before turning her attention back to him, "I don't know," she whispers.

Amnesia isn't uncommon in Storybrooke. People get confused a lot. And randomly people have turned up without remembering anything. Although, that usually occurs when they try to cross the town line, but this girl was at the docks. He's never heard of anyone making it that far. And for no one to have stopped her. This was definitely weird. He offers her a smile anyway, "That's alright, why don't we get you out of the cold while we figure it out?"

The girl looks unsure but eventually smiles and stands from her spot on the rocks. She has no shoes on but she looks unbothered by that fact. _Things are getting stranger and stranger,_ Henry thinks as he offers her his coat and leads her toward Granny's.

They make it to Granny's and he shows her to his usual booth. Red and Granny immediately bring them steaming hot chocolates and berate them both for walking in the chill without coats and missing shoes! This causes Henry to smile and apologize while the unknown girl simply hides her face beneath her hair, offering a quiet "thank you" but staying silent. Red gives him a confused look that he shrugs off and whispers, "Lost and confused" which is enough for her. She turns and goes back to cleaning the counters.

It's silent in the diner, save for Granny and Red murmuring from the kitchen and Henry's one-sided conversation. He tries to get her to remember anything: her name, where she's from, if she has any friends here, any shoes, does she like hot chocolate? But nothing triggers a memory. She's a blank slate. He successfully shot off a text to his mom and his grandma saying that a confused stranger was found at the docks and he was sitting with them at Granny's trying to find out who she was.

The door to the diner opened and in swept his brunette mother who smiles as soon as she sees her son. "Hello dear," she greets before turning her head to the brunette girl across from him. She can't see her face but tries anyway.

"Hey Mom," Henry responds as he turns back to his new friend. "This is….well, we don't really know her name yet, but this is my mom, Regina," he explains, "She's the mayor here," he boasts proudly.

Regina smiles at her son but freezes when the young brunette turns her face toward her. A fireball glows in her hand, "What are _you_ doing here?" she spits.

"MOM?!" Henry screams. The brunette across from him scoots against the wall, pure terror on her face.

"Henry, get back. She's dangerous."

"Mom! She's a confused traveler from the outside world! She doesn't even know her name!"

Regina scoffs, "She's a liar, Henry. She has a dangerous agenda."

Henry is able to get out of the booth and stands between his mom and his new (and terrified) friend. "Mom, you're not listening! She has no memory! I found her by the docks."

"Henry," she says, her voice softer, "This is not some wayward traveler that came over the town line. This is a vicious, lying, vengeful murderer. If she's here, it means something terrible is coming. And it's her."

Henry turns and looks at the terrified girl behind him. "Yeah, mom," he says with a scoff, "She looks terrifying and not scared at her wits end." He looks back at his brunette mother, "Mom," he sighs, "please stop and just listen to me!" By the end of his sentence he's shouting again.

The door swings open, "Henry?" his grandmother asks as she rushes into the diner. She pauses when she sees flames alight in Regina's hand and at the terrified brunette behind Henry. "What's going on?" she asks slowly.

"Mom was just about done overreacting," Henry says with sharp eyes.

"Henry," Regina warns, "Move away from her. She's dangerous and you _need to move away_."

"No. She's scared. And she's alone. Well, guess what? Not anymore. She's here with me. And I will protect her. Because she's an innocent, Mom, and she deserves my protection. She deserves _our_ protection." He doesn't know where this protective instinct came from, but he knows he wants - no, he needs - to help this girl. He sits down next to her, completely ignoring his mothers. "Are you alright?" he asks softly.

The girl looks between the women and the boy in front of her. "What is that?" she whispers, looking at the flames still in Regina's palm. "Is that….is that magic?" she asks, unsure.

He offers a small smile and a snort, "Yes, this is….a _special_ town, I guess you could say."

"Special?" she asks incredulously. "This is insanity!"

"She's playing you, Henry. She's a liar, She's lying to you right now. She knows all about magic. She possesses strong magic herself."

"Listen lady, I haven't the foggiest idea who you are or what you're talking about," the young brunette promises, "I just wanna go home," she says softly, looking down at her lap. She scoffs at herself, "I don't even know where that is. But I know it's not here." Tears fill her eyes, "Can't you just send me home?" She looks to Regina, "You pretend to know me. You say you know someone with my face. Can you take me back to where I came from? Can you give me back my memories?"

The flames in Regina's palms die out and she sighs, running her hands through her hair, "You really have no idea who you are?" The brunette shakes her head. "Your name is Narissa. Queen of Andalasia."

Narissa's nose screws up in disgust. From behind Regina, Red shouts, "I knew she looked familiar! I've heard stories about you from Snow!" She turns to her friend who stares in disbelief.

Snow moves closer to the young brunette to get a better look at her face, "It is you," she whispers in astonishment. "I thought- well, I suppose I just assumed-"

After a silence, Narissa says, "Assumed what?"

There's no answer. Instead Snow asks, "You really don't remember anything?" When the girl shakes her head, she plops herself down across from her grandson and the girl. "Well, Regina, I suppose we should tell her some things she should know before leaving this diner."


	2. Chapter 2

Regina sighs, knowing this has to happen before anyone can leave. She knows how dangerous Narissa can be, but she really does seem to be frightened of her magic. Perhaps she really has lost her memories. She sits beside her former stepdaughter and sighs, "You ruled the largest and most powerful kingdom in the Enchanted Forest. We are no longer in that realm, our native realm; we are in the Land Without Magic-"

"But...but you have magic right now. I just saw it," Narissa reasons.

"Storybrooke is...a unique situation. Since we're from the Enchanted Forest, magic was brought here from our realm when it was destroyed."

Narissa turns her attention to the other brunette, what was her name? Snow? "But you said I wasn't brought here before, yes? Wait they called you Snow...as in Snow White?" The woman called Snow smiles, "Yes, I am."

She can't help the bubbling laughter that erupts from her system. "The princess? Oh that's just rich. And what, I suppose the Evil Queen is running about trying to destroy you because you're prettier?" she scoffs.

The older brunette scoffs, "It was never about looks."

"You're-" Narissa looks between the two women. She turns her attention to the boy at her side, "Your mom is the Evil Queen?"

"Was," he corrects.

"Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me."

Before the conversation can go further, the door to the diner whips open and in walks Emma. Her hair pulled back in a severe bun, black leather heels tapping on the linoleum. "Hello," she greets cooly.

"No," Narissa whispers, backing further into the booth, back tight against the wall.

"We don't get many visitors here in Storybrooke," she coos.

"What do you want, Miss Swan," Regina says, standing from her position at the table.

"It doesn't matter," Granny says, making herself known from behind the counter. "Take your business elsewhere Dark One."

"How rude," Emma states, shuffling further into the diner. "I'm merely here to meet our new friend. Seems lovely," she muses.

"No, don't let her near me," Narissa begs, "please."

Emma tuts, "That's no way to greet an old friend."

In a puff of lavender and gray smoke, she's gone.

"Where-?" Henry stops and looks to his brunette mom who shakes her head. His attention goes to his blonde mother "Do you- do you know her?" he asks.

Emma shakes her head, "Of course not. But the Dark One knows her. And _I_ know she's new in town and I don't like that. I don't like outsiders."

"You were an outsider not that long ago," Henry reasons before he stands, "I have to go find my friend." He rushes out with Regina quick on his tail.

"Henry wait! Where are you going?" Regina calls.

"I have to find her, Mom. She's scared and she just used magic she doesn't remember. She could be in danger."

"Henry, she's not that way. She'd go toward the water," she reasons.

"Right, that's where she was found."

"That's where she'd feel safe," Regina points out.

Together, they rush to the docks. They find her huddled against the rocks, feet skimming the surface of the water. "You really do know her, don't you?" Henry asks.

"I used to," Regina responds.

They move closer to the young girl and Henry calls out, "Narissa? Are you alright?"

"Please don't call me that," she says quietly, refusing to turn around. "I'm not that person."

"What should we call you then?" Regina asks softly.

The young girl turns to them with tears in her eyes, "I'm not evil like the person you say I am. I don't want to hurt anyone. And I don't want to go with that other woman. Please don't let her take me. I did nothing wrong, I promise."

"What are you talking about? Do you know her?" Regina asks, confusion surrounding each word.

Narissa shakes her head, "I don't remember, but she frightens me. Even more than you with your fire hands."

Henry chuckles and Regina can't keep the small smile off her face. "If you don't like Narissa what should we call you?" Henry asks. When he receives a shrug in response he offers, "How about Rissa or Riss? It's not as foreboding as the full name and it's trendy."

"Trendy?" Both Riss and Regina ask simultaneously.

"It's a good thing," he promises.

"Okay," Riss says, fiddling with her sleeves.

"Let's get out of the cold," Regina offers, standing from her crouched position.

"Come on Riss, Mom has the _best_ hot chocolate back home." Riss looks unsure, "Mom won't throw any fireballs," he promises. Regina doesn't object and even offers a small smile to the young girl. "And my other mom will leave you alone if you stick with us."

She stands and follows them back to Regina's car.

*E*E*E*E*E*

Riss takes in everything she can see inside the mansion as Regina makes them hot chocolate. This house is huge compared to everything else around it. She can't remember if she's ever seen anything this big but that's besides the point.

Henry gave her a tour of everything and even showed her the room that she'll be staying in, which is on the same floor as Henry's and Regina's, which made her feel oddly safe.

Henry was currently showing her what he calls his "gaming systems" that play live pictures on a "television" which she thinks she should be surprised about, but isn't.

"It's ready," Regina calls from the kitchen.

"Come on Riss, you're gonna love this," he promises as they go toward the kitchen.

They sit down and take a sip. Henry was right, it really was delicious. "So….Riss," Regina says as she stands across the counter. "You realize what you did earlier was magic, yes?"

Riss looks down at her cocoa, "I guess. I mean, I don't know _how_ I did it. I knew I didn't want to be there, and then I wasn't."

"It was wicked awesome," Henry says. "Especially when you don't know what you're doing."

"Well, your mind may not remember what it's doing, but your magic surely does." There's a pause and Regina sighs, "I know you don't want to be the woman I was talking about, but when I first met her she wasn't all that bad. In fact, she helped me become a better queen."

"Yet you wanted to throw fire at me," Riss grumbles.

Regina shrugs, "I want to throw fire at a lot of people."

"It's more of a personal problem," Henry adds with a smirk.

A few years ago, that remark would've crushed Regina's soul. Now, she finds herself chuckling with her son and shaking her head. "Either way, my dear. You're going to need to learn to control your magic so you don't keep disappearing to wherever your magic takes you."

Riss sighs, "I suppose you're right," she agrees.

"Great, then we'll start with magic lessons tomorrow."

They sit in a comfortable silence, each drinking their respective drinks before Henry offers, "We could watch a movie tonight?"

Riss looks up, "A movie?"

"Okay, I know you know _some_ pop culture since you knew about Snow White. You _have_ to know what a movie is."

"Of course I do," she scoffs.

Henry smiles at her defenses, reminds him of another former queen he knows. "Come on then, I know _exactly_ what to watch."

He makes them watch _The Emperor's New Groove_ "It pokes fun at royalty and it's _hilarious_ " Henry reasons as they sit together on the couch. Riss watches and even laughs at a few parts, but falls asleep before it ends. Regina stands to refill her glass and is in the kitchen when Riss wakes.

She sits upright, _where is she?_ _And why was she slouching like a commoner?_ She looks around her surroundings and sees an unfamiliar boy in front of her, "Who are you heathen?" she commands.

"Riss?" Henry asks, confused.

"Excuse me?" she asks, absolutely affronted.

"Ummm, mom?" he calls, "I think you need to come in here."

"Explain yourself, child. Where am I and what spell have you put me under?"

"What's going on-" Regina says, stepping into the room and freezing, this was not the same girl she left alone with her son.

"Regina?" Narissa asks in surprise. "What is happening? You left. But now you're...here. And you have a son?"

"You might wanna sit down," Henry says, patting the spot beside him, "It's a long story."

Narissa looks unsure but sits beside him in a very regal way, crossing her ankles beneath her, waiting for him to continue.

"You're no longer in the Enchanted Forest," Henry starts.

"That much is obvious, Child," she scoffs.

Regina rolls her eyes but takes a sip of her wine and waits for Henry to continue.

"Well, we're not really sure _how_ you got here but you didn't have any of your memories before. And now you have them. I don't have an answer about that." He turns to his mother to continue.

Regina sits straighter and looks at her once-friend. Before she can speak Narissa starts, "The air is...different here. There's magic but it's not the same. It tastes different. Heavier." Regina nods. "And wait," she pauses and looks back to Henry, "Did you say I didn't have my memories?"

"Uh, yeah. You showed up at the docks and didn't even remember your name."

"What's the last thing you do remember?" Regina asks.

"You casting your curse." Regina's eyes blow wide. "I remember your curse flying over the lands. I barely had enough time to throw up a barrier around my kingdom. Then, nothing." She looks from Regina to Henry. "But you didn't have a son then. So, either this realm passes time differently, or I'm missing time."

Regina clears her throat, suddenly nervous, "It's been nearly 30 years since I cast the curse."

Narissa doesn't react. "I was afraid of that," she murmurs to herself.

Regina stands and moves to the kitchen, fetching the confused queen a glass of wine. When she returns Henry looks scandalized, "Mom, she's not 21."

"Of course not, dear. She's _much_ older than that," she says with a laugh.

Narissa looks insulted but turns her attention to Henry. "I am unaware of the customs of this land but you are a prince of the Enchanted Forest and a young prince never speaks of the age of a visiting dignitary, my dear."

"Sorry," he murmurs, a blush rising on his cheeks.

Regina laughs and Narissa shakes her head, "And for you to allow such jokes. Well, I never thought I'd see that again."

"See what?" Henry asks innocently.

"Happiness," she states bluntly.

It's Regina's turn to blush and turns to Henry, "I think it's time for bed young man."

Henry groans but turns back to Narissa. "Before I go to sleep can you tell me about my mom?"

"You know her better than I," Narissa reasons.

"But you knew her when she was young. Probably better than my grandma did."

Narissa turns to Regina in shock, "Cora is here?"

"Different grandma," Regina says smoothly.

"You know her. It's Snow White," Henry states calmly.

Now utter confusion befalls Narissa. She nearly loses her composure and chokes on her wine. "It's a long story," Regina says with a wave of her hand. "And we'd need a _lot_ more wine than this."

It's only her long tenure as queen that allows Narissa to maintain her self-control and not ask a million questions. Instead, she quietly says, "And I look forward to it. But I do believe your mother told you to go to sleep, young prince."

Another groan escapes the boy, "Can't you at least tell me a story before bed?"

Narissa looks to Regina who merely shrugs. "Alright dear, what would you like to know?"

"Tell me about your kingdom in the Enchanted Forest. It's not in my book."

"Book?" escapes Narissa's mouth before her mind can gain control again.

Henry shrugs, "I'll tell you about it later. What about your kingdom?"

"Andalasia is a beautiful kingdom. Rolling hills, gorgeous trees. The scenery alone is enough to keep travelers coming each season."

"Is that where you grew up? Or were you from another kingdom?"

Narissa smiles at his questions. "I grew up on a lemon farm along the coast of the Endless Ocean. My parents owned the best lemon farm in all the lands. My sister and I were able to travel much when we were children because our father was asked to every kingdom in the entire Forest to share his secrets for producing the most delicious lemons." She smiles softly. "I used to climb the highest tree as high as I could and from there I felt like I could see forever. I saw the ocean swimming endlessly one way, and trees for miles and miles in the other direction."

"You have a sister?" Henry asks.

Narissa nods, eyes glistening, "I had one yes. She was a wonderful big sister, my Dovie." Henry wants to ask another question but something in her eyes gives him pause. She looks so much older with these eyes; it's like she's seen enough for many, many lifetimes. Suddenly, her eyes shut, almost painfully as Narissa reaches for her head. Her glass of wine crashes to the floor, glass shattering and the red liquid spreading along the white carpet. Her hands squeeze tightly at her temples, as if she's attempting to keep her brain within her skull.

"Narissa?" he calls, worry evident in his voice. "Are you alright?"

"Uuggghhhhhh," she groans, clutching her head.

Henry looks to his mother, fear swirling in both their eyes. "Narissa?" she calls, moving toward her. She reaches out to touch her shoulder. Narissa's moans filled the room, surrounding both Henry and Regina in horror. Regina grasps her shoulder, causing the younger woman to scream and jump away.

A look of terror fills her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks. She slowly releases her head from her grip and looks to Regina and Henry. "What was that?" she whispers.

"I'm...I'm not sure," Henry says, looking from the young woman to his mom.

"I think-" Regina clears her throat, a nervous habit. "I believe it was your subconscious trying to break free of whatever is blocking your memories."

"Not a curse?" Henry wonders aloud, eyes never leaving his mother's.

"I'm not sure," she answers honestly.

He nods and looks back to his new friend. Her eyes are back to the way they were when he first met her. Not weighed down with a lifetime's worth of hurt; young, vibrant, and very confused.

"I think it's best that we go to sleep," Regina supplies, standing from her position beside Narissa. With a flick of her wrist, the glass is gone and the wine stain is out of the carpet; as if it was never there at all. She escorts Henry and Riss upstairs, sends them to brush their teeth and put on pajamas and bids them both goodnight, kissing Henry's head and placing a hand on Riss' shoulder, reminding her she's just a room away if needed.

When they're both in their respective rooms, she head back downstairs and shuts off the lights before moving into her office with a newly-filled glass of wine. What the hell was going on?


	3. Chapter 3

Their morning was surprisingly uneventful. Riss woke up as…well, as Riss, and made her way downstairs to find Regina making breakfast and Henry talking a mile a minute. Silence befalls the room as she makes her way to the bottom of the steps. "Hi…." she says in confusion as Regina and Henry both watch her intently.

"Good morning," Regina offers with a politician's smile.

"Morning" she offers as she rubs at her eye.

"Riss?" Henry asks quietly.

"Yeah?" she answers, looking to Henry.

"Nothing," he answers, turning his attention back to the breakfast on the stove, "You like waffles?"

"Um, I'm not sure," she says softly.

"You're gonna _love_ Mom's" he promises with a smile.

*E*E*E*E*E*

They've finished cleaning up from breakfast and have dressed for the day when they meet back in the living room. Regina had wanted Riss to practice controlling her magic - which felt very weird to think about, since Narissa was one who taught Regina that not _all_ magic had to come from a dark place; and now here she was, attempting to help another version of Narissa channel her magic.

Instead, there's a knock at the door. Regina stands and presses invisible wrinkles from her outfit before opening the front door. A jumbled Snow brushes in already talking rapidly. She places Baby Neal in Regina's arms as she shrugs off her coat. "Good morning, Snow," Regina snarks at the woman's lack of a greeting. "And good morning to my favorite Charming," she coos at the snuggly baby.

Snow huffs and rolls her eyes, "Cute," she mocks, "how was your night?" she asks, turning her attention to Henry and Riss.

"Good," Henry says with a shrug, "We showed Riss Emperor's New Groove last night! Although she missed the ending," he explains as he mother sits next to Riss on the couch. She's watching the baby curiously, but says nothing; only half-hearing Henry share their movie experience from last night.

Regina sits the baby up on her lap as she helps remove his wintry clothes and extra layers. As she removes his warm onesie he reaches out to grab at Rissa. Snow tries to reign in her gasp, he doesn't even go to Charming some days. And here he was, willingly reaching for another person; a person he's never met before.

"Would you like to hold him?" Regina asks quietly.

Rissa looks terrified, "I wouldn't know what to do," she explains.

"Follow your instincts," Regina says with a reassuring smile.

"I don't know if I have any," Rissa spells out, ashamed.

"You do," Snow says with conviction. "You were always good with kids. At least you were when I knew you," she adds with a shrug.

Regina carefully hands the baby to Rissa who holds him awkwardly away from her body, "Relax," she offers calmly. Rissa does and the baby coos up at her.

"So...what is it?" she asks, looking up at Snow.

"It's a baby," Snow says nervously. Before, she thought it would be a good idea to give this woman her baby, now she wasn't so sure.

"Yes, of course it's a baby," Riss sighs as she rolls her eyes, "Is it a prince? A princess? A shepherd?" The last word curling the edge of her lips in disdain.

Regina can't help the smirk that takes over her face. She and Snow (and yes, the shepherd too) were friends now, but it never failed to make her smile when someone _else_ was poking fun at the princess.

She notices Snow, frozen in place. "Do you-" she clears her throat, "do you remember?"

"No she doesn't," Regina answers for the suddenly-shy girl, "but her memories are in there somewhere."

"We saw some last night," Henry says, joining the conversation and putting his phone away.

"What?" Snow asks, confusion overtaking her face.

"Well, last night while we were watching the movie, Riss fell asleep but when she woke up she wasn't the same person that fell asleep. She...remembered. Not everything. But she remembered some things. She remembered being a queen. She remembered Mom, and she remembered Mom casting the curse. But that's all."

"That's a lot of missing time," Snow muses aloud. She turns back to Riss, "But you don't remember anymore?"

Rissa shakes her head, "There's nothing," she whispers, ashamed.

Regina offers a small smile and a pat to Riss' leg before she says, "She had some sort of migraine and then it was all gone."

"Everything. Including the time she was with us before the migraine. When she had her memories," Henry adds.

"This sounds like a lot of things are happening," Snow surmises. "Maybe it's time to call in some backup. Someone with a lot of knowledge on magic and that knew Narissa's magic almost as well as her own."

"Oh Snow," Regina says, a hint of warning in her voice, "Please tell me you didn't." When there's no response from her former stepdaughter she groans, "I will _not_ allow vermin in my home, Snow."

"Regina," Snow pleads, "it's worth a shot, right?"

"You _know_ the relationship between Narissa and the fairies was volatile at best."

"And at worst?" Henry asks from his spot on the couch.

"World ending," Regina says solemnly.

"But she doesn't even have her memories," Snow reasons, "It could be totally fine. And Blue will know what's going on, she has a lot of knowledge about this stuff," she promises.

Regina stands from her spot on the couch, grabbing Snow's elbow and dragging her out of the room. "We don't know what's causing the amnesia, nor do we know what's causing her to temporarily regain portions of her memories. This could be a trigger that puts us _all_ in danger Snow. I just don't think this would be a good-"

"Knock knock," a voice calls as they open the front door.

"You're supposed to actually knock moth," Regina snides, as she turns to face the intruder.

"You should've warded this place," Blue mocks.

"I thought pest control could take care of the problem. I see I was wrong," she muses with narrowed eyes.

"Alright!" Snow says, stepping between the two women, "Blue, Narissa's in here," she says as she leads the woman into the living room.

"Actually, she goes by Riss or Rissa now," Henry claims as he stands next to his new friend. He turns to look at her and sees he's wrong. "Or not," he murmurs to no one in particular. It's not Riss sitting beside him anymore. He sees in her posture, her back ramrod straight, shoulders taught but gracefully so - a true monarch. She looks at her casual outfit made of foreign materials and immediately uses her magic to change into an outfit fit for a queen. A long black dress, heels, and dark makeup made her look foreboding and enchanting all at the same time.

"The rules must be different in this realm, I didn't know we allowed pests to walk freely. At least in the Enchanted Forest we could cage the vermin."

"Be nice," Henry hisses, "You're visiting, remember?"

Narissa says but plasters a fake smile on her face, even more demeaning than the one his mom has - and that's terrifying. He doesn't think he's ever been scared of someone holding a baby, but Narissa makes it look easy, clinging to an infant and striking fear into the hearts of many.

"My apologies, Regina. I meant no disrespect to your hospitality. I'm simply surprised you're now socializing with irritating insects in this world."

"I'm not," Regina says simply, folding her arms across her chest. "Snow seems to have left the door open. You can't be too careful on what you let inside," she mothers condescendingly.

"Snow?" she turns her attention to the woman in front of her. _No._ She pauses and takes a breath, "You've cut your hair," she whispers, awe and kindness dripping from every word. This is a completely different person than the person that was here a minute ago.

Snow nods, holding back a sob as tears threaten to fall over her cheeks.

"I'd hug you but," Narissa pauses and looks at the baby in her arms. "Whose…?" she starts but looks between Regina and Snow. "You had a son?" she asks directly at Snow.

Snow nods again, unable to do anything else, "Neal," she manages to whisper.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful prince," she says with a smile, "You've done well, my dear," she offers, her smile growing.

It's too much for Snow and the tears fall freely as she rushes to Narissa. No one knew how much Snow needed to hear that. She worried that she had let her kingdom down by becoming so domestic. By having a job other than ruling her people. By raising her son and loving her daughter before caring for her subjects. She needed to hear she was doing a good job. But especially from the woman she admired almost as much as Regina growing up. Narissa simply shifts the baby in her arms and holds Snow as she sobs, whispering softly into her hair until her sobs turn to hiccups. "Sorry," she murmurs, wiping furiously at her cheeks.

"Never apologize for feeling," Narissa says with conviction. Snow nods but chooses to look at her son instead of responding.

"That was...touching," Blue says, lips curled in disdain. "But I believe I was called to see what was wrong with Narissa's magic." She makes to move toward the sorceress who quickly uses her magic to push Blue into the wall.

"As you can see, my magic is perfectly fine. And I will have you nowhere near me _or_ my magic. So if you would kindly take your leave, I'd hate to have to call someone to remove the pest problem."

"Narissa," Henry says from behind her, "It couldn't hurt to have the Blue Fairy look at you, would it?"

"Now, Henry," she says, leaning down in her heels to get at his level, "I know you can't have known about magic for very long but there's something you must _always_ remember. A fairy can never be trusted. The price of their magic is far worse than that of even the Dark One."

"But- but fairies are here to help us. That's why they grant wishes," Henry reasons.

"That was their purpose when they were created," Narissa admits, "However, they were corrupted. Their purpose changed. They no longer follow the rules set by their creators and they can no longer be trusted."

"I don't understand," Henry confesses.

"I'd imagine not," Narissa says with a small smile.

"Enough of this. Don't listen to her Henry," Blue rushes, "She's not in her right mind. She has no idea what she's talking about."

Narissa looks to the moth and her expression changes. It's as if a light goes on behind her eyes and she lets out a megawatt smile, "They don't know, do they? They don't know what you did all those years ago," she accuses.

"I have _no_ idea what you're talking about," the Blue Fairy scoffs.

"Leave, before I tell them _exactly_ what you did and the consequences you were _supposed_ to pay in the other world."

"You wouldn't," Blue challenges.

"Begone Reul Ghorm. Or shall I call you by your _other_ name?" she asks sweetly.

Blue can't believe what's happening. She takes a deep breath and slowly moves away from the imposing monarch.

Suddenly, Narissa has one hand clutching her head as she stumbles and collapses onto the couch. Somehow, she had enough control over her body to keep little Neal protected and held safely close to her body. Regina, Henry, and Snow rush to her as Blue takes one final look at the incapacitated brunette. She smirks as she leaves, she knows _exactly_ what she has to do.

Snow takes a sleeping Neal from Narissa and carefully places him in his carseat on the floor before turning back to Narissa. "What can we do?" she whispers.

"There's nothing we can do," Regina says regretfully. "We just have to wait for her to return."

"And most likely without her memories. How are we supposed to find out what she was talking about with Blue?" Henry asks.

"I'm not sure, darling," Regina answers. "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

Henry jumps off the couch and runs into his mom's study before rushing back into the room.

"What are you doing?" Regina asks as she watches her son sit next to his new friend, still indisposed.

"I'm going to make a list; a list of questions to ask her when she has all - or at least, some - of her memories.

 _Who is the Blue Fairy?_

 _Who is Dovie?_

 _How old are you?_

 _Why is your magic so powerful?_

 _WHY CAN'T YOU REMEMBER?_

"That's a good start," he decides as he places the questionnaire away for a later time. For now, he needed to make sure his friend was okay.


	4. Chapter 4

It takes a lot longer for Rissa to come back this time. She wakes to find herself on the couch, covered in blankets. But...what is she wearing? She stands to find herself unsteady on the towering heels she's in. She feels the fabric of the dress she's in, it's surprisingly comfortable. She moves toward the kitchen, where she can hear people talking. She stands in the doorway and is greeted with concerned stares from Regina, Snow, Henry, and a man she doesn't recognize.

"Hiiii…" she draws out, nervous with all the staring. "I did it again, didn't I? The whole gaining memories and then losing them? It happened again."

Henry nods at her, "You don't remember anything?" She shakes her head, ashamed. "It's alright. At least you don't remember the headache you got; it looked pretty rough." There's a pause, "how do you feel?"

"Confused," she says honestly.

He offers her a small smile, "Well, unfortunately I think we're in the same boat. The idea that Grams had about the Blue Fairy kinda backfired. So, we're back to square one."

"Not quite," Regina says, "We can start magic lessons if you're ready," she suggests with a smile.

Rissa nods, "Can I change first?" she asks.

"Let that be your first magic lesson. I'll teach you how to change your wardrobe with your magic."

It only takes Riss a couple times to master changing her outfit. It ends up being fairly easy, and she realizes how exciting it is to change so quickly.

Now that Rissa knows how to change her outfit and bring things to herself, she practices by getting herself a glass of water and handing it to Henry, who laughs and takes it. "It's not toilet water, is it?" he asks with a chuckle.

Riss looks affronted before she thinks for a second, "I don't think so," she offers, unsure.

Henry puts the glass down only to see her trying to hide a smirk, "Very funny," he mocks. Her goofy smile is almost worth it, but he puts the glass down on the counter. They can hear the adults talking quietly but Henry's been doing a good job at keeping Rissa occupied and not listening to what they're saying.

Unfortunately David chose their moment of silence to raise his voice. "We don't know enough about this. It's dangerous to have her around! She's going to hurt someone. You of all people know how unpredictable she can be!"

Rissa immediately shuts down. She curls in upon herself, closing herself off. "Riss," Henry says softly, reaching for her shoulder. She shrugs his hand off.

"You will lower your voice," Regina commands, ever the queen and rightful leader. "She is a child. A lost and confused child. And I will _not_ have you talking about her as if she's some sort of hardened criminal."

"She _is_ ," David insists.

"You were a shepherd. No one seems to be worrying about that," she snarks.

"I didn't _kill people_!" he practically yells.

"You're not innocent here, Shepherd. You did some things that aren't allowed here in this world," Regina grounds out.

"Never for sport." He shouts.

Rissa's shoulders fold in on herself again, in a way that makes her look even smaller that the moment Henry found her by the water. He sees tears fill her eyes, "Rissa," Henry tries again. Unfortunately, he's too late. She disappears in a puff of smoke. "MOM!" he shouts as he jumps down from his spot at the counter.

"Yes Henry?" she asks. You'd never know she was just giving the Evil Queen Death Stare.

But Henry didn't care. His friend was hurt. And it was because of his family. "Rissa left. She heard you being mean," he glares at his grandpa. "And she left. Now I have to go find her."

"Henry," Snow starts.

"Whatever," he says holding his hands up "I know you're gonna say I don't know what I'm talking about. That it's because I don't know about the Other World. Yeah, fine, that's true. But Rissa doesn't know about it either and you guys were talking about her as if she wasn't here. You hurt her feelings. She's my friend and you hurt her. I have to go." He grabs his jacket, and an extra from the closet, and he's out the door.

*E*E*E*E*E*

Henry found her by the docks. Again. He watches as she stares at the water below her. She has removed her shoes and socks, her feet resting on a rock that sits just below the surface.

"Riss?" he calls, hoping it's still his friend and not the woman he doesn't know. He wouldn't know how to comfort her. "I'm sorry about what happened."

"Go away, Henry," she whispers without bite.

It's definitely his friend. "Wanna talk about it?" he asks, coming to sit next to her. He knows she doesn't want to be alone right now. She sighs but offers a small shake of her head in response. "Okay," he says with a shrug, "We don't have to talk about it." He puts the extra coat on her shoulders. "We could talk about something else if you wanted?" he offers, allowing her a way out; it's a way back to the 'normal' they've created.

She says nothing but her eyes shift from below her to the horizon in front of them. It's quiet for a few moments as she counts her breathing before saying, "Have you ever felt like a part of you was missing? You can't really put your finger on what it is, but it's there, hanging over you like a cloud. Something is missing. There's a hollow place inside of you where you _know_ it belongs, but for the life of you, you can't figure out what it is." There's a pause before she shakes her head, "Who am I kidding, you probably think I'm crazy," she muses aloud, suddenly embarrassed at her outburst. Of course he doesn't know. How could he?

"Actually, I know exactly what you're talking about."

"You do?" she asks, turning her attention from the water to her friend and raises an eyebrow.

Henry nods, "I was cursed once. For a year. I didn't know I was cursed like you do, but there was always something that felt...well, it felt off. Something wasn't quite right. At the time, I just thought I was having weird feelings about my Ma's new boyfriend and about moving, but now I know it was because I was missing our family. My mom, my grandparents, everyone." He looks up at his friend and smiles, "I mean, I didn't have people constantly telling stories about 'the real me'" he mocks with finger quotes, "but I do kind of know what you're feeling. It's weird. And I'm sorry you have to go through that, but I'm here if you need me. And so is Mom, even if you don't completely trust her yet; she's still here for you."

Riss offers a small smile, She can't remember anyone ever standing up for her before, but nevertheless, her heart warms at the prospect. "Thank you Henry," she says softly, trying to contain her happiness and not let it expel through her eyes. Again. After a few deep breaths she looks up from the rocks at her feet, "I think I'm ready to go back now."

"Okay great," Henry says, standing. He offers his hands and helps his friend to her feet. She clasps his hands in her own and transports them back to the mansion. "Whoa," he whispers when they're instantly back in his home. "That was _insane._ " He looks around the make sure they're really back. "Oh my GOD! Mom!" he shouts, taking off toward his mom's study.

"Henry?" she calls. Riss hears her stand from her chair. "What's wrong?" she asks, as he comes tearing into her study.

"Riss just transported us from the docks here."

"Henry," she admonishes, "magic transport is dangerous. _Especially_ when you don't know what you're doing."

"Mom," he deadpans. "You _literally_ just told me that Rissa has some of the strongest magic you have _ever_ seen. And you're always telling me how magic is emotion. You can't forget your feelings, Mom. We were totally safe. And it was totally AMAZING!"

She can't help the smile that overtakes her face, she thinks about how recent it was that he was spitting in her face over using magic. And now here he was, excited to be teleported. It's then that she sees a nervous Rissa, fiddling with the sleeves of her shirt around her wrists, "Are you alright, dear?" she asks softly.

"Actually, can I ask you something?" She's nervous.

"Of course," she says, unsure as to what she's going to ask.

"Do you want me to leave?" Henry asks after a pause.

"No...no. It's okay that you stay." She steps into the study and slowly moves toward Regina. "I'm just wondering. Do you know what these are?" she asks, lifting her sleeves to reveal white scars across her wrists. From the looks of it, they're magical in nature, and very, very deep. They look almost like burns, covering the space where her arm and her hand connect.

"Riss, oh my god, are you alright?" Henry asks, stepping forward and looking at the marks.

"Yes, they're not really painful. I just don't know what they're from." She looks to Regina, hoping she knows something.

Unfortunately, she doesn't. "I'm sorry, Riss. I'm afraid I don't know. I guess I never even noticed these. I don't think I realized I've never seen you without sleeves or gloves on before." She sees the girl's face fall, "But I can look into it, I might know some people who could help shed some light on this."

"Please don't say anything," Rissa begs. "I don't remember much of anything, but I don't think I trust anyone. And after what you said has happened when you introduced me to some of the magic users here - I just don't want anyone having an advantage over me when I can't even remember what I'm supposed to." Silence. "Does that make sense?"

 _Too much._ Regina thinks. She knows exactly what Riss is talking about. People tried to exploit her weaknesses too. "I understand completely," she says through a closed throat. She swallows back those emotions; no need to frighten the girl, much less her son. "I'll look into some books I have in my crypt and go from there, okay?" Rissa nods and Regina smiles.

"I think Riss and I are gonna watch some movies and play video games today." Henry says after a brief pause. "I think we've have enough excitement that we don't have to go into town at all. Is that okay?"

"Of course, Henry," she says with a smile. "I think that's a great idea."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: WOOHOO DOUBLE UPDATE DAY! And this chapter is hella long too, enjoy!**

"Wanna watch a movie with us?" he asks with a smile.

Regina nods, "I can think of nothing I'd want more, dear." They share a smile and head out of her office. She heads to the kitchen to make some popcorn - it's already been a stressful day, they deserve some popcorn. Once that's ready, she carries in a tray with bowls of popcorn and glasses of water into the living room where Henry and Riss are already scrolling through movie options. "Really Henry," she asks with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a classic!" he says with sincerely.

"It's not even summer yet," she deadpans.

"Jim Carey is a national treasure."

"It's nowhere near Christmas time."

"I'm just saying...the Grinch is never _not_ the answer, Mom."

She shakes her head but sits beside her son, settling in to watch her son's all-time favorite movie.

The movie finishes and Henry finds his mom staring at her phone with a smile on her face. He rolls his eyes but smiles knowing his mom is finally happy. Even if it's with a man who always stinks like the forest and can barely have a normal conversation for five minutes before turning it back to something nature-related. "Mom?" he questions.

She starts, blinking away whatever she was thinking about. "Yes, Henry?"

"Wanna watch another?" he offers, waving the remote in his hand.

"I don't think so," she says, standing up with a tray of empty glasses and bowls. "I was thinking we could all go for a walk."

"Through the forest?" he asks with a raised eyebrow. He watches his mom blush.

"Not if you don't want to. I was thinking we could take the long way around the docks" she explains, suddenly nervous.

He watches her another moment before he shrugs, "I guess that's cool. Wanna come, Riss?"

"Okay…" She's suddenly anxious, not wanting to impose on some mother-son bonding activity.

"Maybe we can pick up Robin and Roland on the way, huh Mom?" he asks with a knowing smirk.

"I think that can be arranged," she says with a shy smile as she reaches for her phone.

He turns to look at his confused friend, "You'll like them," he tells her, "they're nice."

"Why don't you both grab a sweater or coat before we go," Regina says as she stands from the couch, pushing her hand back from her face.

*E*E*E*E*E*

Rissa's introduction to Robin and Roland went smoothly. Robin gave a confused look - he'd never met the Queen of Andalasia, but he'd heard stories (some good, some not) and all Roland asked was if she would feed the ducks with him. When she agreed, he grabbed her by the hand and all but dragged her towards the docks.

With a quick look to his mom, whose attention was on the forest man, Henry followed after them, assuming the two adults were coming behind. Rissa paused at the edge of the dock, unsure of the contraption under her feet. "It's safe," Henry whispers, suddenly beside her. He offers his arm to her, which she takes and feels safer with her arm tucked into her new best friend's elbow.

"Come _on_ ," Roland ushers, still trying to pull Rissa with him. Eventually he groans, dropping her hand in favor of racing to the edge of the dock where he knows the ducks will be waiting.

"Roland, slow down!" Robin calls from behind them. He doesn't listen, continuing to speed to the edge of the dock.

"Roland!" they all shout, running after him as he tries to skid to a halt at the end. Unfortunately, the end of the dock was wet from a recent wave and he slides right off the pier and into the water.

"Roland!" They're screaming. "Regina, do something!" Robin shouts, ready to jump in after his son.

"I- I can't see him," she explains remorsefully, begging whoever is listening that his head surfaces so she can reach him with her magic.

"Rissa?" Henry looks to her, begging her with his eyes. "Can you try?" He has no idea how strong her magic is, but his mom said she was crazy powerful; it's worth a shot.

"Okay," she whispers, closing her eyes.

"What are you waiting for?!" Robin screams, frantically watching for his son to pop above the water. It's been seconds, but it feels like hours.

Rissa focuses on releasing her magic. She can practically _feel_ the water calling to her. She lets her magic fly from her and connect with it. It's as if she becomes a part of the water. She can see through it, almost like how a cat can see at night or an x-ray can see through your body. She finds Roland and quickly wraps her magic around him, creating a cyclone-like funnel as she pulls him from the water. He comes up sputtering initially, but by the time he makes it onto the dock he's completely dry, lungs water-free as if it never happened.

"Whoa," Henry says, in awe of Rissa's magic. Again.

Robin rushes to his son and quickly assesses that he's fine. He wraps him in a tight hug and releases a breath he didn't realize he was still holding. He turns to see Henry looking concerned, Regina with a look he has only seen once before, was it...heartbreak? And Rissa, looking anywhere but at him. "Thank you," he whispers, holding Roland to him as he smiles at Rissa.

She finally looks at him and a soft smile takes over her face. Shyly, she looks down at her feet and responds, "No prob," as Henry has said to her before.

"That was so COOL," Henry shouts. He pauses when everyone looks at him. "I mean, not about the water thing; glad you're okay Roland." He turns back to his friend, "But the whole controlling water with your mind thing, that was _awesome_."

"It was?" Riss asks, looking at them all in confusion. Then she shrugs, looking at her shoes again, "It wasn't that big of a deal, I'm sure anybody could've done it."

"Ah, no. Not true. Tell her, Mom," Henry says, looking at his mother.

Regina clears her throat, slightly embarrassed; until she looks up and smiles almost proudly at Rissa, "He's right dear. You have very powerful magic. I do believe you're the only person I have ever met that has an affinity for water strong enough to do such a thing."

"I think perhaps, we'll head back to the forest," Robin says, standing with Roland in his arms. "This has been enough excitement for today."

"But Papa, I didn't feed the ducks," Roland whines.

"Another day, Roland." He steps forward to kiss Regina's cheek but instead, she leans away and takes his hand, giving it a squeeze before she moves away again. He looks confused but says nothing, just smiling and saying "See you later."

Regina nods and smiles at them both before turning her attention back to Henry and Rissa. The latter has a far off look in her eyes, staring out over the water.

"You knew something like this was gonna happen," Henry whispers, suddenly right next to her.

She grasps at her heart, "Goodness," she hisses, regaining her composure before she responds, "I had no idea Roland would get himself into such trouble. However, I _had_ hoped walking by the docks would help trigger a memory or two."

"You wanted her to get her memories back again?" he asks, unsure how he feels about that. On the one hand, he wants her to get her memories back; it's not fair that she's missing part of herself and feels empty. On the other, he really likes his new friend Riss.

"You're not the only one with questions, dear." Regina says with a smile. "How about we head back to the house and start making dinner?" she asks, finally done whispering.

*E*E*E*E*E*

Dinner is a quiet affair.

After they're done cleaning up, Regina offers to make them all tea. Henry declines, saying he's got math homework and would prefer cocoa and cinnamon while working. He sets up on the island, Rissa beside him, while his mom stands at the stove, water in the kettle and milk boiling in a saucepan.

The smell of ginger fills the air first, a sweet sharpness tingles at their noses as every other smell fades away. Rissa sniffs and blinks, as if blinking away a haze. Henry notices his mom glance over her shoulder to look at them, before turning her attention back, as if it never happened. He wants to ask her about it, but something else is turning his attention away. It's Riss. She's reading over his shoulder.

"Math?" she asks.

He nods, "Story problems on fractions." There's a pause. "I hate fractions."

She reads through the first problem. "What's a fruit box?" she asks.

"A place to store fruit," Henry answers.

"Aren't there kitchens for that?"

He snorts, "Yeah, I guess. I think it's just for the fruit that can't be in the kitchen that long, or if they're shipping it somewhere else."

"Why would they need a ship?"

Henry shakes his head, "I don't know," he responds. It's easier than explaining it's not a _real_ ship.

"Oh well, don't think about ships or fruit boxes, fractions are easy when they're relatable. Here you question says you've got 15 a box filled with apples and 415 of the box filled with oranges. The apples and oranges take up the same amount of room and the box holds 60 apples and oranges. How many more apples will it take to fill the box?"

"I don't know," Henry says, head down. There's too much information."

"Okay, forget about the fruit boxes. If you have a 60 person army, 15 of them are men, 415 are women. How many more men are needed to fill capacity?"

"How would that possibly help?" Henry asks confused. He's starting to see it, something swimming inside Rissa's irises. It's starting to take control.

She continues to walk him step-by-step through the problem, quickly ditched the idea of building an army since it wasn't helping. Eventually, they find the answer.

"How did you know how to do that?" he asks her when he finishes writing his answer on his paper.

She stands up from her leaning position, "One must always be prepared."

"Just because we didn't have a proper school system, doesn't mean we couldn't learn," his mother says, turning away from the stove with two cups. One filled with hot chocolate for Henry, one filled with tea for Rissa.

Riss takes the cup between her hands and lifts it to her nose, sniffing the calming aroma. Her eyes flash, magic swirling within them. She straightens her spine and looks around the kitchen, "You remembered my tea recipe," she says, looking down at the cup in her hands.

Regina smiles, "A relaxing cup of tea can help change the day," she quotes.

"Well, it certainly couldn't hurt," Narissa adds, laughter escaping her.

"It's the queen!" Henry bounces on his seat. "I have questions for you while you're here!" He hops off his stool and goes tearing out of the room, returning a minute later with his list in hand. "Okay, Rissa." He watches her nose crinkle in distaste, but otherwise she remains indifferent to the nickname. "Ummmm...I'm not sure how to address you. Narissa? Your Majesty," he changes, smiling when she gives a tiny smile and sends him a wink, telling him to continue. "Okay, first, can you tell me about your sister?"

It's as if a light was switched off. Darkness clouds the monarch's face. Magic flashing behind her eyes, enough for the hairs on Henry's neck to stand on end. "No one talks about her. Especially to me. And certainly not some half-blood whose only interest is for some miserable storybook." She points to the book sticking out of his bag in the other room.

"Now, that is _enough_ " Regina says, easily stepping into angry mama bear mode.

Narissa grabs at her head, "Something….no...someone is in my head. Taking things...no...looking for something. Ahhh," she groans, holding her head tightly between her hands. Regina reaches forward and places the cup of tea beneath Narissa's nose. The scent does the trick, Narissa sits back up, shaking her head, "Damn that hurt."

"What was that?" Regina asks, stepping forward and looking into Narissa's eyes, which are noticeably magic-free.

"I don't know. But someone was definitely looking for something in my memories."

"Why?"

"Well, I'm not sure, dear," she deadpans, "I suppose if I did I could stop them. Unfortunately, here we are."

Regina rolls her eyes and looks to her son who shrugs, "Sounds like you," he says.

Narissa sits straighter at that, "I'll have you know, I've been sounding like this for _much_ longer than you or your mother could even _begin_ to imagine."

"That's number three on my list!" Henry says excitedly, "How old are you?"

She tsks at the boy, "I thought we talked about asking someone their age. It's impolite."

"But it's important for research! How can we find out what's going on if we don't know anything about you _or_ your magic," he whines, dropping his shoulders in disappointment.

Narissa leans forward and tilts his chin up with her finger, "Honestly, Young Prince? I've forgotten myself. Not as old as the universe. But older than anyone currently here."

"Do you mean here as in this house, or here as in this planet?"

She sits up and closes her eyes, reaching out with her mind and magic. After a moment "I'm older than this world. This is newer than the Enchanted Forest."

"You're older than _this_ universe?" Henry's impressed.

"Yes," she leans to whisper in front of him, "But you must never tell. That's very old magic. Very powerful. Very dangerous."

"How can you be sure you're older than this universe."

"The magic here, it's faint, but not nonexistent. It's not as old as mine. It tastes...newer."

"Well, I guess this can lead into my next question," Henry says before asking, "Why is your magic so powerful?"

"My dear, that's like asking why someone is so strong. A combination of hard work and luck."

"No," Henry says, not buying it. "I've seen your magic and it's _nothing_ like my mom's. You're is always there, just below the surface. And you can usually see it swirling behind your eyes."

"You're very observation," she claims.

Henry smirks, "Thanks. Now, why is your magic so powerful? Is it because you're so old?"

Narissa scoffs, "I may be old, but I can still hold my own, young prince. And I will be given proper respect."

"Sorry," he mutters, looking at his list. "But really, why?"

"I'm a Fae," she explains.

Or well, she doesn't because Henry and Regina look even more confused. "A Fae like a fairy?" Henry asks.

And that's the wrong thing to say. That darkness from before is back. "No," she says darkly. She takes a deep breath, reigning in the darkness. Another deep breath and it's as if it never happened. She turns it into a teaching moment. "The Fae _created_ fairies. Unfortunately, they went rogue. Those creatures wanted to _choose_ who got wishes and who went without. But they were originally created to help everyone because everyone deserves to have their dreams come true."

"You created the fairies?" Regina asks.

Narissa scoffs, "No. But I know who did. And they're very, _very_ sorry."

"Okay, we're getting off topic," Henry reasons. He has lots of questions about the fairies, but Narissa doesn't seem to want to talk about them. What _will_ she talk about? "You said earlier that someone was in your head. Who is it?"

She shakes her head, "I don't know. I've never felt magic like that before. It felt old and new, dark and light, all at the same time. I'm not even sure the magic itself knew what it was. It just wants something inside my head and it's willing to rip apart my memories to try and find it."

"It's not a very good spell then," Regina muses.

"Exactly," Narissa says with a nod, "It feels new because it doesn't seem to know what it's doing, but it feels old when it's probing my mind. As if the magic itself has done this spell before."

"Perhaps it's never been successful," Henry adds.

Narissa mulls it over, "I just can't explain it. The feeling is something I have never experienced in all my years. I wish I knew _who_ was trying, then I could look at their magic up close."

"But you don't always have your memories," Henry says quietly, looking down at the countertop.

A soft smile breaks across Narissa's face and she lifts the boy's chin until they're eye to eye, "She thinks you're the greatest friend that ever was," she says softly.

"Really? You have her memories too?"

She nods, "Thank you for caring so much and protecting her. I suppose Young Prince isn't your only available title. Perhaps Young Knight would be better."

Henry smirks and puffs out his tiny chest, "I like that. And I like Riss. I'm glad she feels safe with us." He smiles at his mom, "Even if Mom did try to kill her."

Narissa stands up, "And don't think I forgot about that, Regina," she starts, a stern-mom voice firmly in place.

Regina scoffs, "You're just upset you didn't fight back."

"I had done nothing to deserve a fireball."

Regina's eyes roll so far back, it's as if they disappear into her skull for a moment, "You most certainly did. Do you remember our last conversation before I enacted the curse?"

***Flashback***

Regina had sent an enchanted bird to Narissa of Andalasia asking for help to cast the curse; her Dark Curse. It had to be enchanted to make sure Snow White and her followers didn't intercept it. This way, the bird didn't stop or get distracted and as soon as it reached its destination it would keel over. At least the message would reach the intended party.

Narissa used to have the softest magic Regina had ever seen. She could create vines and the most delicate flowers in the gardens, control water with only a thought, and bring a cool breeze on the hottest of nights. Yet, Regina has not seen that gently magic in many moons. Since her family was taken, she has only used the darkest of magic. No longer creating flowers and soft breezes, Narissa now creates the harshest of winds that leave nothing but destruction in her wake. Which is exactly what Regina needs to cast this curse.

Regina ponders about the woman who had become her first friend and only true ally. She was the one who told her to accept her feelings of hatred, but not to let them control her. The one who repeatedly told her that even dark magic could turn light with the proper guidance. And she was. Regina _was_ forgetting about her vengeance, she _was_ ready to let Snow White live; she was ready to escape. And that's where everything went wrong.

She had been in one of the libraries, a soft fire going in the fireplace, silence surrounding her. Then, Rumplestiltskin showed up, ruining her haven. His giggle sent fear down her spine. He began spinning a tale for her. A tale promising a happy ending where Snow White was unhappy every day of her miserable life.

"I do not wish to hear your stories, imp. Begone," she shooed with her hand, motioning for him to leave.

"Oh, still waiting for precious Queen Narissa," he mocked, "She'd never help you," he scoffed, wagging his finger. "Just you wait, she'll be here soon to crush your dreams."

Regina rolled her eyes, but chose to ignore him in favor of finishing the next page of the book in front of her. She did her best to ignore his presence and was succeeding, until the doors to the library fly open, revealing a dangerous-looking Narissa.

She has a look in her eyes Regina can only describe as crazed. "Imp," she growls.

"Oooh hoo hoo," he giggles, wiggling his fingers, "If it isn't the woman who's lost everything. How goes the search," he says with a smirk.

With a flick of her wrist, Rumple flies across the room and hits the rock above the fireplace, falling to the ground. Regina's never seen him anything other than composed and in control yet here his is, being thrown like a rag doll by a woman who uses her magic to grow the flowers in her gardens; or at least she used to. The woman in front of her has fire in her eyes. "Narissa?" she asks softly.

Narissa moves toward Rumple, completely ignoring Regina's presence. "Tell me what you know, Imp."

"Know? Know what?" he asks with a smirk.

She growls, throwing him from the ground back to the spot he just fell from, letting him drop again. This time, however, he's prepared and catches himself, gently depositing himself back on the ground, "You're weak," he scoffs. "Losing everything has made you weak."

"Losing everything has made me dangerous," she warns, flames engulf her hand as a wind cyclone begins around her.

Rumple laughs, leaning back and clutching over his stomach, "Parlor tricks are beneath you dear."

"Narissa," Regina calls, finally gaining the attention of the other monarch. "What are you doing?"

"Finding answers," she says, turning her attention back to Rumple.

"With dark magic?"

Another quick look is exchanged, Regina sees nothing but hurt and anger swirling in those eyes, her heart breaks for her friend to lose everything and have no explanation. "It's all I have left, Regina," she replies, eyes hardening; the grief being moved and anger taking over once again.

"This isn't the way," Regina reasons, "There has to be another way to find answers."

"Enough, Regina," Narissa growls. "I wouldn't have come here, involved you in this, if the Imp had simply told me what I needed instead of running away like the coward he is."

"No," Regina says, "You can't do this. I won't let you."

"Let me?" Narissa scoffs, moving her attention from Rumple to the young queen. "You don't have a choice." Regina brings forth a fireball, albeit shaking in her palm. Narissa rolls her eyes and flicks her left wrist, causing Regina to fly through the air and land painfully against the wall, being held there by a magical pressure against her chest.

"Narissa," she growls, attempting to break free.

"I'm not here for you Regina, but I _will_ hurt you if you try to stop me," she warns, turning her attention back to the Imp, "Now tell me what I want to know." And with that, they disappear in a cloud of purple and gray smoke; leaving Regina in a pile on the floor. It was then that she vowed to make Narissa's life _hell_ in her curse. Friendship be damned.

***Present***

"Of course I remember," Narissa scoffs. "And if I remember correctly. More time has passed for you than for me. Haven't we gone beyond this?" She rolls her eyes, "Although you were always able to hold a grudge."

"You were with my son," Regina says, as if it explains everything.

"And I didn't remember anything."

"Okay, we need to focus," Henry points out. "This is the longest you've been in control of your memories and we need to use that to our advantage." He turns to face Narissa. "What can you tell us about your past?"

She smiles, "What do you want to know?"

"How did you become queen?"

"That's a long story," she says with a chuckle.

 **A/N: The next chapter will consist of Narissa's time in the Enchanted Forest**


	6. Chapter 6

" _How did you become queen?"_

" _That's a long story," she says with a chuckle._

***Flashback***

"Oh, Dovie come on!" Rissa shouts, chasing after her sister through the orchard, "You're not playing fair. You _know_ you're faster than me but you _know_ you're cheating." She hears her sister laugh freely in front of her and tries her hardest to catch up. Too bad her legs are so much shorter than her sister's.

She makes it into the house to see her sister standing casually by their table, eating an apple, "Welcome back, Biscuits. Enjoy your run?"

She's out of breath and grumbles at her older sister. She doesn't get the chance to say anything, or catch her breath, before her father sweeps into the room. "Pack your cases, my daughters. The King has requested 14 trunks of lemons and he wants them personally delivered by you as soon as possible."

"Yes, Father," Dovie says as she moves out of the kitchen to pack.

*E*E*E*E*E*

"Why do you think the King asked for us?" she asks her older sister.

Her sister shrugs, never lifting her gaze from the book in her hands, "The King needs no reason. He simply does. And we follow."

"Yes of course," Narissa replies, wringing her hands nervously in her lap.

"Stop fidgeting," her sister admonishes, still not looking up.

Narissa huffs but turns her attention out the carriage window. Her fingers move along her new dress; her mother finished it this morning. 'A gift to bring good fortune', she had said with a knowing smile.

Her sister sighs and closes her book, looking at her younger sister. "Would you stop?" she snaps. Narissa's eyes widen as she follows her sister's gaze to her shaking fingers. "Biscuits," she says, her voice growing softer, "there's no need to fret. The King asking for our presence can only be a good thing. If it wasn't, he would have asked for Father."

"You think?" she asks, worrying her lip.

"I know," she answers with a smile.

*E*E*E*E*E*

They pass through the castle walls and are taken to the front doors. As they step out, assisted by the footmen, the King's army begins unloading the trunks of lemons. The sisters are escorted to the throne room where they are greeted by the King himself. "Your Majesty," they both murmur as they bow deeply.

King Edward was known as a good and kind king. He kept his peasants alive, provided opportunities for peasants to train as a part of his royal guard, and offered protection to those within his walls. And here he was, smiling down at the sisters. "Welcome," he greeted them.

They bowed low, "Hello," and "Your Majesty" they respond.

"I trust that your trip went without delay?" he starts.

"The trip was wonderful, Your Majesty, thank you," Dovie says meekly, keeping her eyes on the floor.

He continues talking with her as Narissa stays quiet behind her. She's nervous; she's hardly ever nervous. Yet here she stands, practically hiding and avoiding eye contact with the royals in front of her. King Edward introduces the sisters to the boy in the chair at his right. "This is my son, Andrew."

"Hello," he greets with a smile, finally given permission to speak.

"Hello again," Dovie responds with a shy smirk.

"I trust your father has discussed our arrangement with you?" the King says, bringing the conversation back to business.

"Yes, Your Majesty," she says submissively.

"And your answer?" King Edward leads.

"I am honored to have caught the prince's eye and the King's approval. And I humbly accept your proposal."

"Huzza!" The knights in the room shout. The prince blushes and looks at the floor.

By now, Narissa looks up at her sister, "What arrangement?" she whispers at her sister's back.

She turns to her younger sister and smiles, "I am to wed the future king."

Her eyes blow wide but she knows better than to say anything. "That's why there were so many cases," she whispers so only her sister can hear.

She nods, tears in her eyes, and chuckles, "That's correct. We'll be moving in until the ceremony."

"We?" Narissa asks in confusion.

"Yes, _we_ ," Dovie says with an eyeroll. "You will be staying with me through the wedding as my personal handmaiden."

"Always wanting me to take care of you, Dovie," Narissa says with a smile.

"Caretaker-to keep me sane, attendant-to make sure I'm on time, personal security-"

"Dovie," Narissa hisses, looking at the royals who are eyeing them curiously.

Dovie merely smiles and turns her attention back to the royals in front of them, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesties."

The King nods in acknowledgment, "I'll have one of the guards show you to your room."

"I can do it," Andrew says, standing from his spot beside his father.

King Edward gives him a knowing smirk, "Alright then, Andrew, please show these wonderful guests to their rooms. I'll see you at dinner," he acknowledges one last time; they're dismissed.

Prince Andrew leads them down the winding halls of the castle - Narissa knows she'll get lost in here if she doesn't go exploring. The prince is quiet, pointing out a few places like the dining hall, the ballroom, and the kitchens. He's awkward around her sister and Narissa finds that endearing. She's used to people fawning over her sister, she's a beautiful young girl, but she doesn't think she's ever seen Dovie nervous herself. They make it to the royals' wing of the castle and Andrew points out, "this is-"

Before he can point out what Narissa assumes will be their room, a handmaiden rushes out holding an infant, "Oh, Your Grace," she rushes, "The young prince just won't calm."

He takes the infant in his arms and gently rocks from side to side. He turns his attention back to the women in front of him, "This is my son. Edward."

"He's beautiful," they both respond. It's well-known throughout the kingdom that Prince Andrew was wed to a neighboring royal. A Duchess by birth. They had a small wedding, since the Duchess was already with child. After the hasty ceremony, the Prince and Duchess were together until the child was ready to enter the world. The doctors and birthing mothers did what they could, but they couldn't save the Duchess' life. Young Edward survived, but his mother was not so lucky. Unfortunately, the prince has been a single father and looking for a new wife to care for his young son ever since.

And apparently, he chose her Dovie, "Would you like to hold him?" he asks Dovie, hoping the child would calm in the arms of a woman, particularly his future mother.

She nods, a nervous smile on her face. She's not a fan of babies, but to marry into the royal family and become a princess, she would hold the tiny creature. And she certainly couldn't say no to the Crown Prince (and her future husband).

Prince Andrew carefully hands the tiny infant to her and waits for the baby to quiet. When he doesn't, Narissa sighs; she carefully (and without any outward signs) sends some magic to the fussing baby; controlling her reaction to the excruciating pain she feels. He quiets immediately and looks of shock come from the prince and handmaiden.

"The magic touch," Dovie jests. Both parties chuckle with her and Narissa gives a tense smile; obviously they didn't see the magic. That's the important part. King Edward is known for his hatred towards magic and magical beings (which is mostly fear, but his actions of banishment and murder toward those with magic only amount to hatred). They continue to chat for another few minutes until Narissa's magic has calmed the baby into sleep. "Shall I lay him back down?" Dovie asks. She is led into the young prince's nursery where she places the sleeping infant in his crib and moves from the room, giving a brief nod to the grateful handmaiden and exhausted wet nurse.

"You were amazing," Prince Andrew says in awe. "He's never taken to someone so quickly."

The older girl merely smiles, "He seems like a wonderful child," she says softly.

"He can be," Prince Andrew says with a smile. There's a pause, an awkward one, that has Narissa clearing her throat and turning her attention to the other rooms. "Oh of course," the Prince says, drawing his attention away from his future wife. "Your rooms are right here," he points out a room near the young prince's nursery.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness" Dovie says with a shy smile.

The Prince smiles that dopey smile again and leans close as if he's whispering a conspiracy, "You can call me Andrew when we're alone like this." Narissa huffs and moves into their rooms; it's not like she'd be missed, and she certainly wouldn't mind missing their awkward courting conversation.

 _Whoa,_ she thinks as she steps inside the rooms set up for her and her sister. It's glorious. There's a beautiful balcony overlooking the gardens and the view is absolutely breathtaking. The sun shining down upon them, ready to say goodnight, and if you look just right, you can see the ocean.

Eventually, her sister joins her and barely glances at the room before talking a mile a minute about things she needs done and where things need to be hung and what she's wearing to dinner tonight and when the royal seamstress is coming in to get her measurements for her wedding gown and what she's going to write in her letter back to their parents and- "Dovie take a breath," Narissa says, giggling when her sister exaggerates gulping air.

"I know, it's going to be frantic here soon, but I'm glad you're here with me, Biscuits."


	7. Chapter 7

"Wait," Henry says, interrupting her story, "So, you weren't actually marrying the prince? So how did you become queen?"

Narissa smiles, "Well, if you would listen to the rest of the story, you'll find out."

***Flashback***

It's the night of their first royal ball. Her sister is being shown off to the neighboring dignitaries as if she were a prized sow. She's definitely in her element, floating around the room, arm snug in the elbow of Prince Andrew. She's quick to laugh and even quicker to flaunt her gorgeous ring, a gift from her future husband; one of many gifted to her and the family as part of the dowry for Dovie's hand in marriage.

Eventually a handmaiden rushes into the ballroom with a wailing Prince Edward in her arms. It's a ploy of course, a chance for the visiting dignitaries to see the future Queen interact with her soon-to-be stepson. "Please excuse me" Dovie says, excusing herself from her conversation with the Emperor of the Opal Empire, an ally from the north _ **.**_ She takes the screaming child into her arms and hushes him. "Perhaps some night air in the gardens will help," she says, moving toward the open balcony doors.

Narissa is already outside as her sister swirls out the door in her hand-stitched ball gown, holding the shrieking child. She rushes down the steps and into the gardens to meet her waiting sister.

"Oh god," she says, handing the child off, "take this sniveling thing and fix it."

Narissa takes the baby in her arms and hushes him, bouncing from side to side. She begins pacing, keeping her bouncy steps as she moves around the garden quietly talking and humming to him. "Hush now little prince," she quiets as she moves around the gardens. "It's alright, you are safe. You have food in your belly and warm arms to rock you to sleep and soothe you when you cry." She lifts him to an upright position, nuzzling into her neck, softly whispering into his hair and rubbing circles on his back. She tells him a story; a story she herself didn't even remember.

"Do you know about the Fae, Love? Well, the Fae were magical beings. The first to ever exist. First, there was Ela and Zeru, the earth and the sky. They loved each other but then jealous Rai came along," her voice goes deeper, "and tore them apart, creating the perfect storm." Her voice picks up tempo, "Ela and Zeru called their children from the depths of Ela's caves, sending Elio and Neoma into the sky to help protect Zeru as Rai wrecked havok on the earth. Ela tried to protect her other children but Rai was relentless. However, with Elio's help, their youngest child Aidan, was able to light the Eternal Fire and Elio was able to burn right through Rai's storm. Unfortunately, Elio could only hold on for so long. So, his sister Neoma stepped in when he was too tired to fight. She helped light the earth while Elio rested, and when Elio was ready again, it was Neoma's turn to rest. And now, we have night and day always protecting us for Rai's wrath." She smiles at the calming child as she continues.

"When the fight was over, the other siblings were able to come out of hiding. And to help their mother feel better about being separated by their father, they created everything around us. Kai allowed his mother to pull islands up from his Endless Ocean, Ilana made rafts from her oak trees, Naseem gave us the wind to fill our sails allowing us to travel. Talia gives us rain to grow our crops. Aidan helps keep us warm when Elio is hidden by the clouds. And Keeya, well, between you and me" she whispers to the now-quiet boy, "She's my favorite. She created the Fae. Ela created the people, to live on her back and shower her with our love and happiness and Keeya created the Fae with Zeru's guidance, to give magic back to the earth and to shower Ela with praise and adoration. They were created to build and prosper, to know the stories of how our Earth and Sky created all, and to help keep Ela happy and loved by her people." She smiles down at the young prince, his sobs turning to hiccups as he calms to the beat of her heart beneath his ear. "That's right, Little One, rest easy, knowing Neoma watches over you while you sleep and Ela and all her children keep you safe with their love."

"I've never heard that story before," a voice behind her calls.

She jumps, startling the young babe in her arms. "Hush," she soothes, gently rocking back and forth as the child calms and falls back to sleep.

"I'm sorry to have startled you. I came to check on the future princess, and instead I heard the most magnificent story. However did you come across all that?"

Narissa doesn't know what to do, Dovie was supposed to be calming the infant, not her handmaiden. "Oh, my apologies," she starts, "The princess had to run inside for a moment and asked me to hold the young prince. She'll be back in a moment."

"That's alright," he says, stepping out of the shade casting over him, revealing his face for the first time.

A gasp escapes her, "Prince Charles, my apologies for the informal greeting. I had no idea," she says, hastily giving a curtsy while holding tight to the child.

"Oh, there's no need to do that. I simply came for a good story. But you have to tell me, where did you hear that? I've never heard any of that story before."

"Oh, ahh," Narissa panics, "I'm not entirely sure. I'd assume my mother told it to me as a child," she reasons.

"Hmmm," the prince muses, "I don't know of anyone in the kingdom who knows that story of creation. We all know the Gods, of course, but the names you used, and the story you told; it was absolutely fantastic."

Narissa offers a small smile, trying to hide her blush. It wasn't every day a prince admires your imagination. "I suppose I had a lot of time to create such a story then," she says with a nervous chuckle.

"I'd love to hear more, if you have it ready," he offers, equally shy.

It's then that her sister decides to reappear. "Your Highness," she gasps, rushing over to her sister. "My apologies for stepping out, I uhh-"

"Your sister already told me," he says, holding a hand up to stop her, "I think it's wonderful you have such a capable sister here to handle everything while you...ran your errand."

She smiles, carefully taking the sleeping child from her sister, praying to the Gods he doesn't wake up now. "Yes, truly blessed," she adds, careful not to make too many movements. "But I should take the young prince back inside before he catches cold."

"Of course," he says, "Hopefully I'll get to see you both again, soon," he adds with a smile directed at Narissa.

She merely smiles and offers a nod of acknowledgment before following her older sister inside.

*E*E*E*E*E*

It's late. She knows she should be in bed, but she cannot get to sleep. She's checked on the young prince, who is finally giving his handmaiden and wet nurse some rest; she's made sure her sister doesn't know she's missing from her bedchambers; and now she's here, standing outside the kitchen with a cup of tea, filled with the lemons of her home.

She smiles and lets the scent wash over her, filling her mind and soul with happiness and she feels content for the first time since they arrived here at the palace.

"Schilling for your thoughts?" a voice asks behind her.

She jumps, nearly spilling her tea everywhere, "Your Highness," she gasps, clutching her free hand over her heart.

"Apologies," he meekly replies, "It seems I'm always frightening you. Which is not my intent," he adds hastily.

"It's my fault, Your Highness," she says, the reply readily on her lips.

"Don't do that," he says, looking down at the floor.

"Pardon?" she asks quietly.

"Apologize simply because I'm the prince. It's not the same as a real apology. It's hardly anything at all!" He pauses and looks at the nervous girl, "I'm sorry," he starts, "I just don't want you to act different because I'm a royal."

"And how would you know I'm acting any different?" she asks, straightening her shoulders, nose tipping up as if she, too, were a royal.

The prince offers a sincere smile now, _when did Narissa notice the difference between his sincere smile and a non-sincere smile?_ "You act different when you think no one is watching."

"I do?" she asks, suddenly nervous.

"You roll your eyes, and mock the visiting dignitaries when they displease you. And you are always ready for whatever your sister needs, even before she needs it. You're very good at your job, but it's not where you want to be."

"You got all that from studying me?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.

He shrugs, "I notice things. I seem to notice a _lot_ of things about you."

Narissa clears her throat, studying the cup in her hands, unsure of what to say next.

"Care to join me on the balcony?" the prince asks. When Narissa looks unsure he adds, "I know you don't have little Edward to soothe to sleep with your stories, but I'm sure standing under...what did you call the moon?"

"Neoma," she says softly.

"Right. Well, I'm sure standing under Neoma and all her glorious light couldn't hurt."

Narissa knows she shouldn't. She should sneak back into her chambers and hope her sister didn't notice her absence. Instead, she finds herself nodding and following the prince out of the kitchens and toward the balcony of the ballroom. She tightens her dressing gown around her shoulders as she steps out into the cool night air.

"So, where did that story come from?" Prince Charles asks once they're both leaning against the balcony railing.

"I haven't the faintest idea," Narissa answers honestly. She looks up from the warm cup between her hands to the moon. "I was just trying to calm the young prince and assumed a story would work. It just came to me, as if I had heard it many, many times before."

"What else is a part of that story?" Charles asks softly, turning his head away from the vastness in front of him and getting lost in the endless eyes before him.

"What do you mean?" she asks, drawing the prince from his thoughts.

"The rest of the story. You talk about the sky and the earth, and all their children trying to keep them both happy. But what about us? Or about the Fae?"

"Oh," Narissa says, looking back down at the cup in front of her, "I guess I don't know."

"Don't know or don't remember?" he says so softly, Narissa's sure she imagined him speaking at all.

"I can't be sure," she answers honestly.

"Well," he says, standing up straighter, "Tell me a story you _do_ remember."

Narissa raises her eyebrow, "Demanding," she scoffs before her eyes widen in fear. "Your Highness, I am terribly sor-" She trails off as the prince lets out a raucous bout of laughter.

He waves her off as he tries to regain control over his diaphragm. "Don't be sorry," he insists. "It's been a long time since someone has been so honest with me. It's refreshing," he reassures. Once he's in control once more he offers her a sincere smile, " _Please_ , if you have it in you, _please_ tell another story." When she says nothing he jokes, "It worked for the last prince, I'm sure it will work for me as well."

Narissa smiles and looks up at the sky, thinking of what to say.

"Did you know that Neoma sent us two of her daughters to show her love for us earth dwellers?" When there's silence, she smiles, _of course not_. "The stars all around her, those are her children. And she sent us Amaris and Nokomis - the two brightest ones, right over there, on a shooting star," she points, "to tell us about their mother's love and all of the wonderful things she gives us. She controls the tide, she helps us sleep better, and she lights up the night sky." She pauses and smiles up at the moon above her. "But she was too strong, too powerful at night and she easily stopped Rai from entering our sky and wreaking havoc from the heavens. So, he sent Aibek to control the moon. He controls when her full brightness shines upon us, and when it's a moonless night. He forces her to become smaller and they become bigger. It's an attempt at weakening her to allow Rai to come here, but even with the will of Aibek upon her, she's still strong enough to fight off Rai." She takes a sip of her rapidly cooling tea and sighs, "As for sleep, well, when it's brighter it's harder to sleep. Even knowing it's Neoma shining her love upon us, it's still harder for some to sleep since the sky is so bright. That's why she allows Aibek to make her light softer. Without it, us earth dwellers would not get as much sleep."

"Is that true?" the prince asks, eyes drooping from her soothing storytelling voice.

"Of course it's true," Narrisa says imperiously. "The moon is nearing complete fullness and here you are, unable to sleep. Is that not proof?"

Prince Charles turns his head to look up at the moon above them. His sleep-addled mind not stopping his thought, "Hmmm...and here I was, thinking it was because I couldn't stop thinking about the most beautiful girl I've ever seen telling the most magnificent stories."

Narissa blushes but tries to hide it by drinking the rest of her tea. It's silent as they watch the moon and stars above them, casting light across everything around them.

"You're glowing in this moonlight," he speaks before his mind can catch up.

Narissa releases a chuckle. "You seem more tired now; do you think you can fall asleep again?" she asks kindly.

"I think that's probably for the best since I can't seem to stop talking," the prince says sheepishly.

A small smile curls up the corners of Narissa's lips and reaches her eyes. "Then I will bid you goodnight, Prince Charles."

"You can call me Charlie. All my friends do," he states, standing straight from his leaning place on the balcony.

"Is that what we are now?" she asks, a bit confused. _Are princes even friends with their future sister-in-law's sister? The help?_

"I'd like to think so," he says with a hopeful smile. When he sees it returned his smile grows and he reaches for her hand. "Until we meet again, Lady Narissa." With a kiss to the back of her hand, he disappears into the shadows of the castle.

She stands there, a dopey smile on her face, for far longer than she'd like to admit. She looks up to Neoma and whispers, "Thank you," as she stands, overlooking the gardens.


	8. Chapter 8

"I need to write down these stories," Henry mumbles, hoping he doesn't forget about the creation story Narissa just told him.

Regina hushes him, hoping these breaks in Narissa's concentration don't cause her to forget herself again. She pushes the cup of tea toward her, hoping the lemon smell continues to work.

***Flashback***

It's been months now; months living in this castle, readying her sister for the biggest wedding the kingdom has ever seen. Everyone loves her. She's the most loved commoner in all the lands. She's now known as the people's princess, even more popular than Tyballa from all those years ago.

Even the littlest prince adores her, clinging tightly to her curls as she carries him around the ballroom. It's the eve before the wedding and the palace is full of visiting dignitaries and commoners alike, all celebrating the prince's future bride. Narissa stays out of the way, near the windows leading to the balcony, watching her sister for signs she needs an escape. From the tense smile on her face, Narissa can tell Little Prince Edward is pulling particularly hard on one of her curls. She can't help but smile at the bubbly infant. He smiles at the people in front of him, dimples showing from his chubby little cheeks. She turns her attention to glance at her parents, wearing the fine clothes the king had made for this event, and smiles as they talk with the Duke of Lothage. Then her attention is pulled to the _other_ prince that has been on her mind. Prince Charles is talking with another visiting dignitary, looking exactly like the prince he is, chatting amicably with the person across from him. As if he can feel her stare, he makes eye contact and smiles, causing her to blush and look away, a smile still on her face. That's when she notices her sister heading to the door.

That's her cue. She leaves her spot by the windows and moves out on the balcony and down toward the gardens. She makes her way in and to their "designated baby spot" where a giggling prince is placed in her arms as her sister begins fixing her hair. "How are you, Little Prince?" Narissa coos, kissing his cheeks. He giggles, causing her to do it again.

"I'm surprised he's not holding a chunk of my hair," her sister grumbles.

"You worry too much, Dovie," Narissa says, not taking her eyes off the baby in her arms. "He's just an infant. He'll soon be too big to hold and you'll be chasing after him."

"Doubtful," her sister muses as she moves to sit next to her sister and her soon-to-be son. "Although, he's much cuter in your arms. Then he doesn't have my hair."

Narissa laughs at her older sister when another voice cuts in, "Evening ladies," it greets.

Her sister stands, a hand to her chest, "Charles," she gasps. "I just- we just need….needed some air," she explains.

"No need to tell me," he says, moving toward Narissa and his nephew. "I know he's a handful." He rubs a finger against Prince Edward's cheek, causing the boy to smile before rubbing at his eyes. "Perhaps you can tell everyone you put him to sleep and laid him in his room for the evening? Give yourself a break and enjoy the rest of the evening. It is, after all, about you tonight."

She smiles but turns to her sister before agreeing. When she sees Narissa nod, her smile widens, "Wonderful idea," she claims. She moves over to her sister and places a kiss on the top of her head whispering, "Love you Biscuits." She stands and adds, "Come back to the party when he's asleep, enjoy yourself a little."

Narissa merely smiles and offers a small nod. When her sister is gone, she stands and resituates the young prince against her shoulder, gently rubbing his back in small circles.

"Care for a stroll through the gardens?" Charles asks.

"I really should get the baby inside and to his crib before someone sees," she reasons.

"No one will be out this far this late. They're all too drunk to make it into the gardens."

"I don't know…" she says, unsure.

"Come on, we'll take the long way, near the woods. No one will see," he promises.

"A young man luring a young woman into the woods? Sounds dangerous," she jokes.

"Only if you want to cause a little trouble," he adds playfully.

"Alright, but no trouble," she says, no room for argument in her tone.

"Of course," he agrees, leading her out of the gardens and toward the woods. When they're far enough from the castle that they can no longer hear the raucous laughter of the rowdy dignitaries, the prince leans closer to her, their shoulders brushing as they walk - a common occurrence as of late. Late night conversations. "What story do you have tonight?" Another one of the new things they do. Well, Narissa tells a story, and both princes hang onto every word, until one or both fall asleep; wherein Narissa places the youngest prince in his crib and either coaxes the other prince back to his chambers to sleep, or they head on late night adventures that include sneaking out of the castle or in to the library to read the oldest books, because who can say no to decoding languages no one has spoken in generations? Or at least attempting.

"Hmmm," she hums and she thinks of what to talk about.

"Might I make a suggestion?" he asks.

She raises an eyebrow, "Perhaps."

He laughs, no one has had the courage to talk to him like that besides his siblings in a very long time. " _Perhaps_ ," he enunciates, "you could talk about the original Fae again tonight?"

"That's an excellent suggestion," she muses as she thinks about what to say, watching the prince practically preen under her praise.

"There was, of course, Tatiana, the very first Queen of the Fae. She was a fair and just ruler, caring for her people as if it were her one and only job. The Fae were quite prosperous during her reign, which was multiple millennia of course."

"Of course," the prince says, sarcastically.

"No need to joke," she says with a shake of her head, "The Fae live longer lives than humans. They're practically immortal in that sense, living for many millennia in peace and harmony. Anyway," she starts, getting back to her story.

"There was a jealous Fae, who saw everything she did in life as inferior to that of Queen Tati. Her name was Tania; and she was the queen's sister. She had the audacity to turn a few of the Fae again their rightful queen. They rebuked the queen and everything she stood for. They wanted to harm the humans and take their place as the rightful rulers over the land. Which was the exact opposite reason they were created by Keeya in the first place," she adds, with her nose scrunched in disgust at the evil Fae. "So there was a war. A terrible war that tore apart families and ruined a millenia's worth of friendships. Eventually, with numbers dwindling, Queen Tati begged her sister to stop the fighting. She agreed to step down as queen as long as they chose a successor together. Tania wasn't sure; she wanted her sister destroyed. But she knew the strength of her army was depleting. She didn't know how much fight the Fae had left in them. So, together, the sister's chose a new queen to lead with both of them at her side. They chose Caelia, a young Fae who chose to stay out of the fight and instead created the Fairies, a group of sprites dedicated to granting the wishes of Humans and Fae so their dreams could be achieved."

"Everyone knows about the fairies. They're the only magical beings that can get in and out of the kingdom undetected."

Narissa smiles nervously, tugging at one of her sleeves before continuing with her story.

"Right. Well, the fairies were created with the best of intentions. Unfortunately, they decided that not everyone was deserving of wishes and chose to hand-pick those they deemed _worthy_ of their wish."

"That seems reasonable," he muses.

"You've never been anything other than worthy," Narissa states simply, not bothering to mince words.

It's as if she'd slapped the prince, "Excuse me?"

"You've always been worthy. Everything you've ever done has been a gift from above since your lineage comes from the heavens itself. Of course your wishes would be granted. But what about the peasants who have nothing to give but the love in their hearts or the clothes off their backs? Or the people with parents with tempers that use their fists instead of their words. Are they any less worthy?" Before he can answer she says, "They're not. But the fairies decided they were powerful enough to make that decision for themselves and choose who was _worthy_ of wish granting. And that's wrong."

"Of course it is. They shouldn't be able to do that."

"And yet they do. Every day. And no one stops them because they're too full of themselves to ever believe they're doing wrong. And if they don't believe it, how can anyone else?"

"You're right," he says, "how has no one ever noticed this?"

Narissa offers a half-shrug, "Like I said, the fairies don't believe they're doing anything wrong. That makes it easier to convince others. Especially when they hide behind their so-called 'light magic'."

"Are you saying they don't have light magic?"

"I'm saying they were created out of light magic. It's incredibly difficult to get dark magic out of light magic. Difficult. But not impossible." She stops and takes a breath, looking down at the content prince in her arms, eyelids growing heavy. "I think we should head back, the little prince is ready to sleep."

Charles nods, turning them back toward the castle, "I'm sorry," he says quietly.

"Pardon?" Narissa asks, wondering what he's talking about.

"For what the fairies did. I can see it upsets you. And I'm sorry if they hurt you."

Narissa nods, unsure how to answer. _Did the fairies really hurt her?_ She can't remember so she can't be sure either way. "Thank you," she whispers, feeling tears well up at the idea that someone cares about her enough to say something so kind.

*E*E*E*E*E*

Today's the day. The day her Dovie marries Prince Andrew, first in line for the throne. Every one of the kingdom's allies are in attendance, ready to celebrate the second marriage of Prince Andrew, all hoping this wife lasts longer than the first one.

Dovie looks beautiful, of course she does. The dress had been hand stitched by the best seamstresses in the kingdom. It was breathtaking. Narissa helped her with the finishing touches as the other handmaidens are ushered out of the room.

"You look lovely," Dovie says, looking at her sister's gown.

Narissa scoffs, "Dovie," she starts.

"I mean it," she explains, "I know all that you've done for me hasn't been easy. Leaving our home, suddenly taking care of me, and now here you are, looking like a princess yourself."

"Dovie, _you're_ the princess."

"Not yet," she reasons.

"You're going to be great."

"You think?"

Her sister doesn't get nervous; not like this. Narissa steps back, taking her hands, "I _know_ , Dovie," she promises.

"When did you get so wise?" her sister asks with a watery smile.

"I had a great teacher."

Now her sister's tears begin to fall, Narissa wraps her in her arms and whispers into her hair as she calms. She steps back and quickly fixes her sister's Kohl eyelids and pink lips. When that's done and all evidence of her tears is gone she grabs her sister's hands and says, "Love you Biscuits."

"Love you Dovie," she responds, smiling the widest she can. There's a knock at the door. "That'll be Father," she says, moving towards the door. This is it.

*E*E*E*E*E*

Since the wedding, things have been hectic. It hasn't been a full fortnight but the castle hasn't stood still. It's planning a coronation. King Edward has decided to abdicate the throne in order for his son to lead, and hope their allies never learn of his illness. He considers himself no longer fit to lead and wants Edward in power before someone tries to take the throne by force.

And now it's here. First a wedding, now a double coronation.

"Biscuits," Dovie whispers, as the other handmaidens finish her hair and leave the room. When Narissa stands before her, she smiles. "First a wedding, now a coronation," there's a pause.

"It's been busy lately," Narissa agrees.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Dovie states.

Narissa smiles but shakes her head, "You didn't need me."

"I'll always need you," she promises. Then she stands taller and releases a breath, "Which is why I'm asking you to stay with me. I know-" starts before Narissa can stay anything, "that things have been stressful here. And I know you prefer life back with the trees and the ocean but please, Biscuits, you're the only thing keeping me sane here. Without you, I'll be alone in this castle."

Narissa scoffs, "You're never alone, Dovie."

"Perhaps there are always people around, but that doesn't mean I'm not alone. Please," she begs, taking her sister's hands, "stay here with me."

After a moment, Narissa sighs, she could never say no to her big sister, "Okay."

She smiles, "Aaaaaand," she adds, "The longer you stay, the longer you can see Prince _Charles_." She sings his name and bats her eyelashes.

Narissa rolls her eyes, "You hush."

Her sister smirks, "In all seriousness, thank you Biscuits. I don't think I could do this without you."

"You couldn't," Narissa says with a smirk of her own.

A knight comes to the door, "Your Highness," he calls, "It's time."

She nods, squeezing her little sister's hand. "Walk with me?" she asks.

"Of course, Dovie," Narissa promises, taking her sister's hand and leaving the room.

*E*E*E*E*E*

"So why do you always wear sleeves?" Prince Charles asks on one of their nightly walks. When Narissa's eyes widen - shifting her sleeves hanging against her wrists, he smiles and holds up his hands, "I do not wish to offend you. I was merely curious since it's incredibly warm here now."

"I-" Narissa pauses, taking a deep breath, "I don't really talk about that," she whispers.

Charles nods, "I understand." He stops walking and looks her in the eye, "But I want you to know that I'm here if you decide to talk about it." He smiles at her, as if he understands and then continues walking. "So, where were we last time? The Fae?"

She smiles, he's always been good at making her smile. And maybe, _maybe_ , someday she'll be ready to tell him. "The Fae, like I said earlier, were created by Keeya as a gift to her mother and father. She wanted to create a magic that her father was able to see, since he's so far away from her mother, his wife. The Fae had the ability to rewrite time, create magic so beautiful, one cannot look away. They changed the very way our world is made. They wanted to do everything they could to keep humanity safe and happy, knowing this would make Ela elated and content, distracted from the fact that she was separated from her husband, her eternal love. Unfortunately, humanity continued to grow and quickly overpopulated the Fae. How could the Fae keep all of humanity content when there were too many of them? They couldn't. So, they created Fairies to help. Their only job was to protect the humans and grant wishes to make everyone happy. But the Fairies were not satisfied with that life; so they revolted. They ran away from the life they created with the Fae and created their own system, a system that rewards wishes to those deemed _worthy_ by the fairies." Her lips curl in disgust.

"Then it's probably a good thing Father stopped letting fairies within the kingdom's boundaries."

"Yeah," Narissa huffs, "a good thing." She shakes her head, "Anyways, the fairies left the Fae and developed their own caste system." She shrugs, "I think that's all I have for tonight. I'm going to retire inside."

"Wait," Charles calls, holding his hands up placatingly, "I'm sorry for whatever I said. I didn't mean to upset you. Please don't leave because I stuck my foot in my mouth. Again."

"It's fine," she insists. "I just don't have anymore stories for tonight. I have to rest because I'm sure I have a full schedule with the Queen tomorrow."

"Of course," Charles says, hanging his head slightly. He turns around and escorts Narissa back toward the castle. When they make it back inside, he takes her hand, pausing her before she leaves for her rooms. "I hope to see you again soon."

"I'll see you at breakfast," she says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"You know what I meant," he insists.

The brunette smiles, "I know." And with that, she gives a "Goodnight," and extracts her hand, leaving his presence.

"Goodnight," he calls softly, watching her walk away.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: LONGEST CHAPTER TO DATE**

 **TRIGGER WARNING: character death**

Henry makes to interrupt but Regina quickly hushes him with look and a hand on his shoulder.

*E*E*E*E*E*

It's been nearly a year. Almost a full year since the coronation, since her sister became Queen of Andalasia. A year of bedtime stories for young Prince Edward and of midnight rendezvous with Prince Charles. A year of helping her sister and of sitting by the elder King's bedside, wiping his brow and listening to stories about the kingdom and its allies.

And now it was time. King Edward doesn't have much time left. His children have gathered. King Andrew was there, his daughter Victoria, the new Queen of Voumid, and Princes Charles, Nicholas, Otto, and Princess Beatrice were all either still living in the kingdom, or summoned back from the neighboring kingdoms. His children have been with him all day, meaning he hasn't needed Narissa to sit with him. She's been free to spend her time with the youngest prince.

He's been growing and changing so quickly. He is so close to taking his first steps alone that Narissa has had him on his feet as much as possible, hoping it happens before the king leaves this world for the next. Right now, she sits in front of the young prince on the floor patting her hands with his, singing his favorite game song.

That is, until a handmaiden knocks at the door, "Miss?" she calls, drawing Narissa's attention, "The King has requested the prince's presence for goodbyes."

She nods and waits for the girl to leave, "Come now, Young Prince. It's time to see your grandfather." She picks him up and walks toward the old king's bedchambers. She meets her sister, waiting for them outside the doors. "Your Majesty," Narissa says, bowing slightly.

Her sister rolls her eyes, "You don't always have to do that," she says for the millionth time.

Narissa looks affronted, "And become 'the farmer without etiquette'? I don't think so."

"No one would say that about you. You're the sister of the queen."

Narissa smirks, "But it's fun to tease you."

The queen huffs but takes her stepson from her sister, kissing her cheek and whispering, "Thank you."

"Of course; I'll wait out here," Narissa promises.

Dovie nods and steps inside, letting the door close behind her. It's barely been a minute before Charles steps out of the room, smiling at her, "He wants to see you."

"Pardon?" Narissa asks, unsure what he's asking.

Charles takes her hand, "My father. He wants to see you in here with us."

"Why?"

"You've been with him the most recently. Of course he wants you to be in here." He pulls her inside where she quickly removes her hand from his grasp. No one knows about their midnight rendezvous or the time they spend together with young Prince Edward.

"Ah there she is," the old king rasps, beckoning her closer.

"Your Majesty," she greets, moving to kneel at his bedside, kissing his ring. "You are looking happy, Your Grace."

"Why wouldn't I be? I have all of my favorite people with me to wish me farewell." He squeezes her hand, "I have a request."

"Of course. Anything," she promises.

"Marry my son."

"I beg your pardon?" she asks, eyes widening as she glances from the king to Charles.

The dying king smiles, "You're not very secretive, my dear."

"We all know," the youngest child, Otto, says with a laugh.

"You're actually really obvious," Princess Beatrice adds with a smirk.

Narissa's eyes couldn't get any wider, but when she locks eyes with Charles they soften as he smiles at her.

A squeeze to her hand draws her attention back to the king. "Please, dear, grant the wish of a dying man."

She smiles, "Of course, Your Majesty."

"Then it shall be," King Andrew says from his spot behind her.

Narissa is suddenly very nervous, was this the right thing? Or is this just the dying wish of a senile old man? Before she can get too lost in her thoughts, the young Prince Edward makes his presence known by releasing a squeal. Everyone turns and smiles as the queen brings him toward his grandfather, placing him beside the man on the bed. "Well, hello, young namesake," the old king coos at his grandson.

The young prince leans forward and grabs ahold of the blanket resting over the king.

The king does his best to sit forward, and with help from Narissa, he leans up and kisses the top of his grandson's head, "You will do great things, my boy." He lays back down and looks to all the people around him with a small smile. "All of you will do great things. Look forward to what will come, but smile fondly at our past," he takes a breath. Be kind, love one another." He takes another ragged breath, shallower than the others. "I must be going, the fog is rising." And with that, he closed his eyes. There was a moment of silence before Princess Beatrice released a sob, and is quickly wrapped in her sister's arms.

That's when King Andrew steps outside and brings in the handmaidens to clean his body as they prepare him for the ceremony. Everyone is ushered out and moves toward the king's study. Once there, everyone is given a drink and King Andrew smiles when he gives one to Narissa, "Shall I start the planning?"

Narissa looks nervous, "Your Majesty," she starts.

He holds up a hand, "I know Narissa," he smiles, "We won't start until after the kingdom is out of mourning." He squeezes her arm softly, "But this is something he wanted. Something we _all_ want for you and Charles. When you're ready." She nods and he moves on to talk with his wife.

"Hello," Charles says, coming to stand beside her.

"Hello," she greets, nodding her head in acknowledgment, but choosing to focus her eyes on the drink in her hand.

"Are you alright?" Charles asks, worrying that Narissa would not accept his proposal. Well, the proposal by him, given by his father. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. They had been spending a lot of time together, sneaking moments when they thought no one was looking, but apparently his entire family knew. What he was most excited about was the fact that they supported his decision. Everyone knows that Lady Narissa makes sure the castle runs smoothly and keeps the king and queen happy, that's why everyone loves her. That and the fact that she's a joy to be around, always ready with a soft smile and a listening ear. And for the royal family to support Charles' decision to marry her is surprising. Andrew was able to pick the queen to wed because it was his second wedding, and he was in line for the throne, Prince Charles is second in line behind his nephew; but once the queen gives birth, that lineage will continue to grow. He should have been shipped off to a neighboring kingdom like his older sister Victoria was to become queen, or how Louis became the Duke of Ibriles, or how Beatrice, Nicholas, and Otto will be soon. Yet he stayed here, at his father's side. And now they were allowing him to wed the woman of his choosing, and a commoner at that.

"No," Narissa answers honestly. When the prince looks up at her in shock she turns her attention to him completely and asks, "Why are you doing this?"

"Wha- why-" he sighs, "what do you mean?"

"This. Courting me. You should be off with a duchess or a baroness or even a princess, ready to lead a kingdom. Yet, you spend your nights walking the grounds with a handmaiden. Why?"

He takes her free hand in his, "You are much more than a handmaiden, Narissa. You have to know that."

"Why?" she whispers again, trying hard not to get lost in his endless chocolate eyes.

"Because you're special. You're the only one I want to spend my time with." Her eyes fill with tears and he smiles softly, "Please don't push me away because you're scared or worried about repercussions. You've already gained the favor of both kings. But even if you didn't, I would still choose you. Over and over, my darling Narissa."

She scoffs, her emotions making it difficult to talk, "Don't say things like that," she chastises.

"It's the truth, and if you need me to say that to you every minute of every day for the rest of forever, I will," he promises.

She studies him closely. Looking at his eyes, the way they twinkle like the stars in the sky. The way his cheeks dimple when he smiles, noticing her stare. She looks back into his eyes, "I believe you," she tells him hoarsely, with a smile taking over her face.

His smile is contagious, and he squeezes her hand, "Are you ready?"

"No," Narissa answers honestly, never looking away from his eyes.

"Will you be?" he asks.

"Yes," she whispers with a soft smile. His answering smile grows wider and he wraps her in his arms, hugging her close.

*E*E*E*E*E*

She can't believe it. She's actually a princess. Well, her official title with be the Duchess of Yoryn. Her new older brother gave her and her new husband a small township to rule over, right near the ocean. But for now, they're traveling to the summer palace. They will arrive a few days before the rest of the royal family is set to leave the winter palace and meet them. Charles and Narissa leave right after their wedding to have some time together before the rest of the family shows up.

They couldn't be happier. It was stressful leading up to the wedding, but standing at the altar hands encased in her husband's, she knew there was no place she'd rather be. And now here they were, at the palace on the sea, waiting for the rest of the family to arrive.

That never happens.

A messenger rushes into the summer palace, which has hardly any staffers within the walls, most stayed behind to help the rest of the royal family travel. "Your Grace," he says, running into the room. He pauses, hands on knees to catch his breath. When he stands upright he sees he has the attention of both the Prince and Duchess. "There's been a fire," he says, still out of breath.

"Excuse me?" Charles asks, stepping toward the messenger.

"A fire, sir. It seems the royal carriages had an accident when they left this morning to continue their journey. Something happened, but fire destroyed the carriages."

"Where?" he asks, moving closer to the messenger to give him a steadying hand.

"Half a days ride from here, sir."

"Then let's go," he says, leading the messenger out of the room. He turns to see his new wife, frantic. "I'll return soon, my dear," he promises.

"That doesn't concern me as I'll be with you." She leaves no room for argument and one look into her eyes tells Charles there's no denying her. Not that he ever could.

"Your Grace, I would have to insist-" the messenger starts, worried about a woman slowing them down.

"And I will deny. Now, lead the way messenger," Narissa says, leaving the room with a swish of her dress.

The messenger looks to the prince in shock. The Prince merely shrugs, "She's better on a horse than anyone I know. And she insists on coming with us. I will not challenge her."

"Yes, sir," the messenger says, heading back to his exhausted horse.

"Let your horse rest, you may take another from our stables."

"Thank you, Your Grace."

And with that, the men head into the stables only to find the Duchess, with a handful of knights ready on their horses, and two horses being saddled by the stable boys.

*E*E*E*E*E*

They see the smoke before they come upon the carriages. Everyone but the messenger is off their horses and searching the rubble immediately. The Duchess lets out a sob when she finds part of a shoe. A shoe belonging to her sister.

The prince is beside her in an instant, holding her up as she grasps at the ashes around her. "It is not safe here, my love," he whispers in her ear as he leads her out of the embers. From a safer distance, they look to see two burning piles of what appear to be carriages. "Where are the bodies?" Charles calls to no one in particular.

One of the knights stands, "I have two over here, Your Highness."

Another knight stands from the other burning rubble, "I see one here, sir."

"Where are the others?" he asks aloud.

It's then that Narissa hears a baby cry. She is out of her husband's arms and rushing towards the sound without a second thought. Right into the burning embers of a carriage.

"Narissa!" Charles shouts, grabbing her and pulling her away from the burning wood.

"Let me go, Charles!" she yells, trying to get away from him and toward the crying.

"You cannot go in there," he reasons, pulling her toward him.

"But it's Michael, I can hear him crying!" She tries and fails to get away.

"There's no crying, Narissa. There's no one left," he whispers into her hair, holding her as she tries to pull away. Two of the knights go and move the piece of wood she was _sure_ was crying just a minute ago.

She dissolves into sobs, clinging to her husband as she realizes everyone is gone. Her sister, her new siblings, her nephews; everyone is gone. Taken from her without her knowledge. She wants to scream and she feels a fire burning inside of her. She needs to throw something, break something, _anything_ to make this pain go away. Her wrists begin to burn, as if someone took metal from the blacksmith's fire and wrapped her arms in it. She releases her husband and pulls back one of her sleeves to see the metal bangles around her wrists glowing and burning her skin. She screams in agony before everything goes black.

Narissa wakes to find herself laying on the ground, resting over her husband. She sits forward and clutches her wrists. "We'll get those bandaged when no one is around," Charles whispers into her ear, rubbing her arms gently.

She nods but stands, only flinching slightly at the sharp pain she feels in her wrists. "How long was I asleep?" She asks.

"Not long," Charles answers, standing and offering his wife a steadying hand against her back. "The knights just finished digging through the fires." He sighs and shakes his head at her hopeful look, "They found nothing but ashes. No signs of anyone," he chokes thinking about his family burning in their carriages, unable to escape. "No life," he whispers.

Narissa reaches forward and holds her palm again his cheek. There's no need for words, they're both going to need time to grieve. And what comes next? Neither knows and no one wants to ask.

Before Narissa removes her hand they hear a scream. Well, more of a shout. They both whirl around to see two figures running from the woods.

"Is that-" Charles doesn't finish because the figures are close enough to see. Both he and Narissa take off in a sprint. It's harder for Narissa, in her full dress, but she makes do. The figures meet and are engulfed in arms.

"Charlie," the figures cry, wrapping their arms around their big brother.

"Otto, Bea, thank god you're alright," he sighs, holding them close.

Beatrice is the first to step back, "Narissa," she says, eyes full of tears.

Narissa holds out her arms and is instantly holding a sobbing girl to her, whispering that she's safe, over and over. It's then that she hears it. She looks up from Beatrice to see tiny Prince Edward hanging in a basket on Otto's back. She looks at them both hopefully and they shake their heads.

"We were the only ones that got out," Otto says, helping Charles get Edward off his back.

"What happened?" Charles asks, holding his nephew in one arm and wrapping his other around the brother that, until a few moments ago, he thought was dead.

It's Beatrice that answers, still clinging tightly to Narissa, "We don't know. We stopped because the littlest prince would not settle in the carriage. Otto and I took Edward and were playing in the grass. We could hear arguing from the first carriage, and this...this...screech." She shudders at the memory. "And then there was this dragon above us."

Both Charles and Narissa stand up straight, "A dragon?" Narissa questions.

"Dragons don't come this close to the sea," Charles points out.

Otto shrugged, "It was here. We didn't know what to do, it was circling the carriages. So we took Edward and ran for the trees. That _monster_ ," he spits the word, "burned everything down and then just left."

"Your Highnesses," a knight calls, moving in front of the royals. "This area isn't secure. We need to get you someplace safe."

Charles nods, handing his nephew to his new wife. "Alright, do we know if any of the horses got away?" he asks no one in particular.

"We caught a few over by the trees after the dragon left. The others are...gone," Otto says.

"Grab them. Then we'll head back to the summer palace. It's our closest option."

"Go," the knight responds sending one jogging toward the trees. "But, Your Majesty, I have to respectfully disagree, there are not enough knights at the summer castle without the cavalry that was traveling with your family."

Charles gives a confused look at the head knight.

The head knight knows the problem, "With your brother gone, you are now the acting king. Until the proper coronation. But for now, you are King Charles. You have acceded the throne upon your brother's death. And you will be the acting king until your coronation."

Narissa stares at her husband and then at the little boy in her arms.

"He's too young, Father would never have allowed an infant to rule. He created laws to prevent that," Otto explains. It's then that the knight returns with the two horses.

"That's enough of a history lesson. Let's get out of here," Beatrice says, fixing her skirts and pushing her hair out of her face.

"We have more knights at the summer palace. Enough to get us back to the main castle," Charles states.

The lead knight nods, "We need to regroup." He turns to the messenger, who has not left the side of his horse. "You must go ahead, tell the others what happened and that we will be returning in two days time."

"It's a three day ride to the summer castle. There's no way we'll make it in time," Otto argues.

"It's a three day ride by carriage, Your Highness," the knight explains. "We will not be riding by carriage."

"We'll be riding through the night on horseback," Narissa says, resituating the young boy in her arms.

"Exactly, Your Majesty," the knight says, bowing his head.

Narissa cringes at the new title. Who would've thought she'd miss being called Madame? She smiles a tight smile toward her husband, who brings her her horse and holds their nephew while she climbs atop the horse. When the toddler is seated securely in the saddle, held snugly to her front, the rest of her family and their knights saddle up, heading for the summer castle.

*E*E*E*E*E*

It's been a week since they buried their family. Well, since they held a ceremony for five of their family members. And now there's a coronation. A double coronation. A day that was joyous for her sister, but is full of heartache for Narissa. The only thing holding her together is Charles' hand around hers.

She puts on a smile as her heart shatters. The crowns are placed upon their heads and the crowd cheers. She clings tightly to her husband's hand, a smile that doesn't reach her eyes plastered across her face as Charles escorts her from the room. Once they're away from the public's eyes, he wraps her in his arms as she cries.

"It's alright, dear," he whispers, "This will work out. We will be good at this." He rubs his hand up and down her back, "I promise. We'll do our best to protect these lands and make sure this never happens again." She holds him close as he continues to whisper to her, "We'll find who did this. We'll get justice."

Narissa shakes her head, "I don't want justice. I want her back."

"I know, love, but we'll have to settle for justice. Come now, dry your tears, I'm sure we'll be wanted in the ballroom."

"I do not wish to celebrate, Charles."

He nods, "We'll get you out of there as soon as we can. A quick appearance, then I'll tell everyone you need your rest. It's been a long day for everyone."

"And you'll come back?" she asks, nervous to have him out of her sight.

"Of course I will. I will always come back to you," he promises.

"You better," she grumbles, holding him close once more. She stands, and with a deep breath she wipes away all evidence of her tears. She straightens her crown and with another breath, holds her hand to her husband-and her new king. They move into the ballroom as they will enter every room from now on. Together. Hand in hand.


	10. Chapter 10

"I had no idea," Henry whispers, once he's sure Narissa is done. He watches as she wipes her tears.

"Of course not," Narissa says, sitting up straight and attempting to regain control of her ragged breathing and erratic heartbeat. She had not talked about this in a very long time.

"I mean, it wasn't even in the storybook," he explains, looking around for it. "Why wasn't it in there?"

"I'm sure it wasn't considered important enough," Narissa says with a scoff. "We were the southernmost point in the Enchanted Forest. Nearly an island all our own. I'm sure no one thought anything of it."

"Your storybook is also not the most reliable source of information," Regina reasons, also trying to recover after listening to her oldest friend's story.

Henry nods, accepting that information. "So, you weren't supposed to be queen?"

Narissa shakes her head, "That was never in the cards. It was my sister who was to be the new queen."

"No one ever spoke of her," Regina points out. She had never heard about this other queen from Andalasia.

"She was only queen for a year," Narissa explains. "And you would have been only a child." She shakes her head, "I hardly think your mother would have thought it pertinent to learn of the short-term, unroyal queen of a southern kingdom."

Regina scoffs, "I swear I learned them all." She shrugs, maybe Narissa was right. Maybe she never had the chance to learn of this quiet queen. "But I only learned of you and King Charles."

Narissa shrugs, wanting to forget the topic all together. She sighs. These memories were hard. She didn't like to think about her Dovie. She didn't like to think about her time before being queen. It was too hard, there were too many memories that hurt.

"Do you know why your memories are gone yet?" Henry asks, hoping this Narissa - the one with almost all her memories - would know more.

She shakes her head solemnly, "No, but I can hazard a guess."

Henry sits straighter. This has been bothering him from the moment he met the young-looking queen. Why were her memories gone? Did someone take them? _Who_ would do that? He had so many more questions for his friend, but those were a good start.

"For the Fae, one's identity is the most powerful thing. Stronger than any magic one could possess. Therefore, that identity is protected at all costs." She pauses.

Henry can't take the suspense, "Sooooooooooo," he drags out the word, trying to figure out what his friend is saying, "You're saying that we know something really important about you?"

Narissa shakes her head, "Well, technically my given name, the name that draws my strength, isn't Narissa."

"What is it?" Henry asks, not thinking through his question. Narissa gives him a look, causing him to blush and look down, "Right. It's too powerful; if someone knows it, it could be dangerous for you."

A soft smile takes over Narissa's face, appreciating the curiosity of a young child once again. She hadn't felt that way in many years. "No one knows my true identity." Her eyes mist over, "not anymore."

"Charles knew?" Henry asks softly.

Narissa nods, "He was there when I remembered."

Henry's confused, "I don't understand."

Narissa takes a deep breath, "Narissa is merely my name this time around. When my given identity was threatened, the Fae Council took my memories and placed me somewhere they thought I would be safe. In the kingdom where no fairies could find me, in the only kingdom in the whole Forest that did not allow magical beings. I was to grow up a normal girl in a normal family. I didn't remember my Fae life until after I became queen."

"So you think the Fae Council took your memories again?" Henry asks, still confused.

"Taking my memories is like a failsafe," she explains, "It's a way to make sure I am protected. Although, I don't believe this was the Fae Council that did this. If they had, I would have been given a new identity; I would have been de-aged. I would have been placed far away from where I was. No, this seems deliberate. I was brought here, to Storybrooke, for a reason. I just don't know what that reason is yet." She pauses, looking down at her hands, "But it's the only magic I know of that is strong enough to transport through realms."

Henry scoffs, "There are TONS of ways to transport realms these days."

Regina can't help the smirk that takes over her face. She turns to her friend and offers half a shrug, "We seem to find new ways to travel realms all the time."

"And yet it took the curse to end all curses the first time," Narissa snarks.

" _That_ was to destroy everyone's happiness," Regina responds indignantly.

Henry jumps in, ignoring them both, "Now we have magic beans, the Apprentice's wand, cyclones, and mermaid magic," he explains excitedly.

"Mermaid magic?" Narissa asks, as if she was mulling the words around inside her skull.

"Yeah, mermaids can travel across the realms," he answers.

"Of course!" She shouts, with a flick of her wrists, the three disappear in a puff of smoke.

They reappear at the shoreline, near the docks. Henry reaches out a hand, grabbing his mother's forearm so he doesn't fall. Regina quickly grabs onto him and holds him steady.

"I don't like that," he grumbles, looking a little green.

"Gods," Narissa says, stepping up next to them. "I forgot you're new to this. Here, let me," she says. She steps forward and places a hand against his jawline, allowing her fingertips to pause at his pulsepoint. She gently releases a bit of magic into him and just as quickly, she moves away; shifting her gaze toward the shore.

Henry immediately stands upright, releasing his deathlike grip on his mother. "What was that?" he asks, rubbing a hand along his neck.

"Magical sedative," Regina assumes.

"Not quite," Narissa responds, moving across the rocks with the grace of a queen. "More like an anti mal de mer," she explains as she stands ankle-deep in the freezing water.

Henry gives a quizzical look aimed at his mother.

"Mal de mer is like motion sickness dear," she explains.

"So she gave me a magical version of an anti-nausea pill?"

"I suppose that would be one way to describe it. Although it's much more powerful than that."

"Neat," Henry says, already turning his attention back to the queen on the rocks. "Narissa?" he calls, hoping to gain her attention.

"Just one moment," she calls, keeping her eyes focused on the water. She holds out her hands and the water rises, as if creating a wave directly into her hands. A small cyclone swirls itself out of the water until it places something in her hands.

"What is that?" Henry whispers, trying to see it from his spot on dry land. His mother doesn't answer, but she looks just as perplexed.

Narissa turns toward them with a vacant look on her face. "It's not working," she whispers, eyes never leaving whatever was in her hands.

Henry can't take it anymore. He starts moving toward the slippery rocks to see what she was holding.

"Henry," Regina warns.

Narissa looks up and attempts a smile. She fails. "It's supposed to work."

"What is?" Henry asks softly.

"This mirror. It's made from the same magic that created the conch shells the mermaids use to communicate. This should show my kingdom, my Edward, but there's nothing. Just an empty mirror."

"I'm so sorry," Henry whispers, watching the renown queen nearly fall apart.

Narissa straightens her spine and forces the tears away, "No need to be sorry, Young Prince. There's obviously something more powerful occurring around us."

"Your Majesty," a voice whispers from behind them.

They turn to see a mermaid, holding herself up on the outermost rocks. "Maira," Narissa breathes.

"It's not safe for you to call upon such magic now, Your Grace."

"I'm afraid I have no idea of which you speak," Narissa explains, stepping toward the mermaid.

The mermaid sighs, "Of course, your memories," she says more to herself. "You must hide your magic. Some may seek to destroy with it."

"Explain," Narissa commands.

Maira shakes her head, "I cannot, Your Excellency. I can tell you your family is safe. But that is all. Now, you must go, hide away your powers."

"Maira," Narissa warns.

The mermaid releases the rock she was holding tight to. "My deepest apologies, my Queen. I must take my leave. We are to protect the kingdom at all costs."

"You are to do what I say," Narissa exclaims, affronted.

"This _is_ what you commanded," the mermaid explains, afraid of the queen's wrath.

"I do not understand," Narissa whispers, tears thick in her voice.

"I am terribly sorry," Maira says with another shake of her head. And with that, she disappears, beneath the water once more.

It's as if the world stood still. No one spoke. No one moved. They all just stood still, staring at the point where the mermaid had vanished into the murky water. Eventually, it's Narissa that moves first. She sighs and pinches at the bridge of her nose. "I wish to forget again," she murmurs to herself.

Henry and Regina hear her, but choose to ignore it. It's not like it's something she can control anyways.

"May we return to your home?" she asks, finally turning her attention to Regina. "I think I am in need of a long rest."

Regina nods, unsure what else to do. With the smallest flick of her wrist, Narissa transports them all back to the mansion, none of them noticing the dark figure hiding in the shadows near the docks.

*E*E*E*E*E*

When Rissa wakes, she feels exhausted. There's a restlessness within her and she doesn't understand. She makes her way to the kitchen where she finds Henry and Regina talking quietly. They both straighten their postures when they notice her. "What's going on?" she asks.

They share a quick look before Regina asks, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," she answers, "Did something happen?"

Regina takes a deep breath before she answers, "You had a rough morning," she explains. When all she receives is a confused look from the young girl, she elaborates, "Your memories had returned and you told us about your past. We then tried contacting the other world, which didn't work; you were fairly upset when we returned. I'd imagine that's why you're feeling so tired."

Riss nods, accepting that answer, "So, we are no closer to finding out why I'm here and who took my memories?" Both brunettes shake their heads. "Fantastic," she mutters as she sits down in the chair beside Henry. "So, what did you learn about me? Anything interesting?"

"Of course it was interesting. Everyone's story is interesting," Henry says with a scoff.

She offers a sarcastic laugh, "I just wish I knew mine."

"We'll figure it out, Riss," he promises. She merely offers a nod and moves from the room. When he sees her flop onto the couch he turns to his mom and whispers, "How are we going to do that, Mom?"

"I don't know, Henry, but we'll figure this out."

"We need to get her home," he agrees.

Regina looks surprised, she wasn't expecting her son to want to lose his new friend.

"I don't think she should lose anybody else. We need to find Edward for her."

"Henry," she starts.

"I know, Mom. She's missing a lot of time from her memories. Maybe something terrible happened to him. But I don't think so. Either way, we have to find out for her; she deserves to know."

She nods, unsure of what else to say. She's worried for her friend. Obviously, something happened to her that caused her to lose her memories and show up in Storybrooke. She just hopes finding answers won't cause her friend to lose herself again.


	11. Chapter 11

The three enjoy a quiet dinner. Henry encourages them to watch another movie, hoping to take Rissa's mind off of her missing memories and utter exhaustion.

After the first part of the movie, Regina's phone rings, causing Rissa to jump from her spot beside Henry.

"It's okay," he says, "it's just Mom's cell phone."

They both watch as Regina answers the phone, her eyes going wide before they quickly return to normal as if they were never large at all. She gives clipped responses before hanging up. She says nothing as she leans back against the couch.

"Mom?" Henry asks, hoping she answers the question he doesn't want to ask. When she doesn't, he sighs, "What's going on?"

"Nothing dear, just a little disturbance at Granny's this evening," she states simply.

"Is everything okay?"

She nods and, suddenly looking a bit nervous, "I hope so."

"Mom?" Henry pries.

After a deep breath Regina says, "It seems Leroy and some...friends," her lip curls at the word, "are headed this way."

"For a...party?" Henry asks in mock confusion.

This causes Regina to force air from her lungs it what could have been a laugh, if she wasn't so concerned. "Why don't you both go upstairs," she suggests, leaving no room for disagreement.

Henry tries anyway, "Mom," he starts.

"No, Henry," she says with a shake of her head.

He groans but looks at Rissa, who seems to be more confused than concerned. "Come on, Riss," he says as he stands from his spot on the couch and moves toward the stairs. He pulls out his phone and quickly dials his grandma as he rushes up the stairs. "Grandma, you gotta come quick," he whispers once he's at the top of the stairs, "something is happening, you gotta get here right now." He hangs up and Rissa is unsure if his grandma even had the chance to respond before the call ended.

They move into Henry's room where they shut the lights off and peek out the window, seeing lights from the end of the street.

"I don't like this," Henry whispers, checking his phone again.

It's silent as they watch the lights get closer and turn into dark blobs holding the lights. Those dark blobs become people as they make their way closer to the mansion. She recognizes some of the faces but most just look like angry strangers. "What do they want?" she whispers to Henry.

"I'm not sure," he answers truthfully. Although, he has an inkling they're not here for his mother.

The mob stops at the sidewalk in front of the mansion. Henry and Rissa carefully open the window, just enough to hear what was being said. "Bring her out!" Leroy shouts from the front.

It's then that the front door opens and Regina steps out and off the front step. They can just see her from the edge of the window. Henry and Rissa share a look, that's what Henry was afraid of.

"They're here for me?" Rissa whispers to Henry. When he shrugs she asks, "Why?"

He shakes his head, "I don't know," he says, turning his attention back to the people outside his house.

"Bring her out here right now!" Leroy repeats himself.

"Keep shouting, it will only help yourself," Regina deadpans as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Give her to us," Leroy shouts once more.

"I have no idea what you're speaking about," she says, looking exponentially bored.

"The murderous queen. Give her to us."

Regina shakes her head, "I do not have a murderous queen. You should probably look elsewhere," she explains.

He growls, "Enough games. We don't need _another_ Evil Queen, so give her to us and we'll take care of her."

"Mob mentality only gets you into trouble, Dwarf," she says, "And there was only ever _one_ Evil Queen. I am offended you would try to so quickly replace me, and with a poor imitation at that."

Rissa scoffs and then realizes she was being offended at not being evil enough, what has this town done to her?

"Give her. To us," he grounds through is teeth.

Regina pretends to think about it, "Hmm, no," she decides.

It looks as if the dwarf will charge at Regina but another voice calls, "Enough Leroy." It's Blue. "Regina," she starts. "We just want to _help_ Narissa. We, at the convent, are much more adept at handling Fae. This would be best for everyone.

Regina obviously disagrees. Henry turns to see what Riss is thinking, but he finds an empty room. "Riss?" he calls. His attention is drawn back out the window when he hears the door open.

"Now it is not polite to hold a party in someone's honor and not invite them," Narissa says, stepping off the steps and beside Regina.

"How does she do that?" Henry whispers to himself as he sees she's changed from her earlier outfit and is now in a dark gown.

"We were merely waiting," Blue says with a fake smile. "Good to see you again," she greets dryly.

"I have to disagree," Narissa states, eyes not leaving the fairy's, "Never seeing you again would be too soon."

Henry laughs and then covers his mouth, hoping no one heard. Knowing Narissa and his mom were friends _totally_ makes sense. They're very similar.

"You wound me," Blue mocks, "But we're here for the safety of our town," she explains.

"You believe you're what's best for this town?" Narissa asks, dubious.

"Watch it sister," Leroy warns.

"Now Grumpy," she starts, causing a look of surprise to cross the dwarf's face, "Would this _really_ be what Riven wants from his children?"

He gasps before his eyes narrow, "How do you know of Him?"

"I was there when he took his first breath. I was there when it was his turn to create a helper for humanity. I was there as he debated and debated what to do to help humanity. I was there when he decided to create something to help his partner's own creation: the Fairies. I was there when the magic was bestowed upon the very first egg. So, to answer your question: what do I know of Riven? I know _everything_."

"Who are you?" Leroy whispers, shocked at the knowledge this queen possesses of the creator of the dwarves.

She only shares a smirk in response. She turns back to the mob that has formed, in her honor no less. "You may leave now. Because if you stay, you will not win this fight."

Everyone looks unsure, except the Blue Fairy, "You are vastly outnumbered," she reminds the queens.

Narissa laughs, a melodic sound that makes Henry smile as shivers run down his spine. Both comforting and dangerous. She flicks her wrist and dozens of what look like gnats to Henry, fly from the flowers at the front of the house.

"Pixies," Blue grounds from between her teeth as she starts batting away the tiny creatures.

Henry is shocked, it's as if the creatures are multiplying by the second. What was once dozens, is now hundreds, possibly even thousands. He looks to Narissa, who seems focused on her handiwork, and his mom, who looks confused yet impressed at her friend. He watches as one of the pixies leaves the group attacking the mob and moves toward Henry's window. His heart begins to beat faster, was it supposed to be doing this? He nervously looks from his friend to the pixie, moving closer and closer to the open window.

"No, no, Nienna," Narissa calls, "focus down here, dear." The pixie turns around, weighing their options of obeying or disobeying. "I know, love," Narissa answers an unheard sentence, "but you're needed down here." With a beckon of her finger, Narissa calls back the pixie.

Henry releases a breath he didn't know he was holding as the pixie is moved away from his window. He watches as the mob disperses, attempting to run from the pixies.

"This isn't over!" Blue shouts as she disappears in a puff of smoke.

Narissa scoffs, "It never is," she murmurs as she calls back the pixies. They return and stop in front of Narissa and Regina, as if they were students watching their teachers, waiting for further directions. "Thank you, dears," Narissa coos, smiling wide at the pranksters before her. "You did so well, you may now have five minutes to yourselves. There are rules," she adds, holding up a finger before they could take off. "You must stay within the city. No entering the woods or waterways. Be back in five minutes. Have fun," she says, sending them on their way. The pixies immediately disperse to cause a ruckus in town.

Henry immediately shuts his window and runs down the steps and out the door. There's a scream and the three look to see a frantic Snow and Charming, with a screaming Neal, as they swat away the pixies surrounding them. Narissa waves a hand and they are teleported to in the front of the Mills' mansion.

"That was _insane_!" Henry shouts as he leaves the house and steps in front of his mom and Narissa.

Narissa looks confused and turns to Regina who translates, "He thinks it was very impressive."

"It was, wasn't it," she says with a smirk.

"What were those?" Charming shouts in fright, looking around for more of the creatures.

"How did you do that?" Henry asks, ignoring his grandpa - and the look of annoyance on Narissa's face - and rushing over to the flowers lining the front of the house.

"Yes," Regina agrees, also wanting to know, "Those tiny demons didn't come from my flowers, did they?"

"They're not _demons_ , Regina," Narissa says, affronted at the thought. "Those were pixies."

"Aren't they fairies?" Henry asks, standing up from his position studying the flowers.

"Goodness, no!" Narissa exclaims. "They're absolutely different creatures," she huffs. "Pixies _despise_ fairies. They choose to help humanity, when they're unable to live in seclusion," she adds as an afterthought. She looks at Henry and whispers, "They're also much smaller and _much_ cuter than fairies."

"What is going on?" Charming shouts once more.

"Narissa called upon some pixies to disassemble the mob," Henry explains.

"I was merely having a little fun," Narissa says with a wink toward Henry.

He giggles, then looks more serious, "So they won't hurt anybody?"

Narissa shakes her head, "No, dear. They're merely excited children. They will play a few harmless pranks, perhaps shift some flower plants. But they're not hurtful, they just want to have some fun. And after their help protecting their home, I think they deserve a few minutes of fun."

Henry agrees as Regina says, "Excuse me? _Their_ home?"

"Well, of course," Narissa says matter-of-factly. "You brought these plants from your castle in the Enchanted Forest."

"Yes," Regina says, not following.

"Well, you do know that they kept your garden looking perfect, yes?"

Regina straightens her posture, absolutely _not_ knowing that, "I had gardeners," she explains.

Narissa laughs, "Yes, and the pixies fixed their mistakes. Never ask a human to do a pixie's job."

"So they've been here all along?" Henry asks.

Narissa nods, "Yes, but they're not always active. And certainly never that many at once. They cause too much trouble when they occur in groups."

"So why did that one come after me before?" he asks, thinking back to when he was in his room watching from afar.

"Oh, Nienna wanted to say hello," she says simply.

"She wouldn't have hurt me?" he asks nervously.

"Of course not!" Narissa exclaims. "Nienna has watched you grow up. They all have. They all care for you and your mother very much. They were just waiting for a signal they understood. A signal that showed you needed their help."

"And what kind of sign was that?" Regina asks with a raised eyebrow.

"A wake up call from their mother," Narissa explains, lifting her chin and showing her queenly status.

"You _created_ them?" Henry asks in awe.

"Of course," Narissa says, "Every Fae creates creatures to help humanity."

"And you created mischievous beasts?" Regina deadpans.

Narissa gasps, "Regina, they are _not_ beasts. And I'll have you know they've kept your garden alive for decades without a single acknowledgment from you." Regina looks to argue and Narissa stops her, "My dear, you most certainly do not have a green thumb." Henry starts to chuckle, erupting into giggles when he sees his mother's offended face. He never knew how the garden always looked so perfect when she hated dirt and always pulled all of the weeds (and some of the flowers) from the ground when she deemed them in her way.

"Henry," his mother gasps.

"It finally makes sense!" he says between laughs, causing both women to smile, light twinkling in their eyes.

"Come back now children," Narissa calls into the night air. Immediately, they hear the whispers as the pixies come back to the Mills' mansion. They fly and run through Snow and David's hair, causing them to shout in fright. "Be nice," she warns. She turns to Regina and whispers, "Told you they were loyal," causing Regina to smirk. She _did_ always love when the other royals were mildly inconvenienced.

"Narissa," Regina gasps as she sees pixies riding up the street on five horses.

Narissa's lips disappear within her teeth, eyes wide. Her face becomes stern as she says, "Children, you know it is impolite to steal." She pauses as tiny voices start whisper-shouting. She holds up her hands, "I _understand_ that you wanted to have some fun, but my dears, these beautiful animals have homes and were resting for the night." Another pause, "Yes, yes, next time I will make sure the horses are prepared so you may ride," she concedes. "Alright now, loves." She steps forward and smiles at the pixies before her. "I'm glad you had fun tonight, but now it's time to go to sleep." There is a chorus of tiny groans. "Come now children, return to bed."

There are softer whispers, Henry and Regina can no longer hear what's being said. They share a look before turning their attention back to Narissa, who is staring at them, nodding at what is being said.

"I will ask," she whispers back to them. She stands at her full height and says, "They have something they would like to say."

Regina looks from Narissa to Henry, then back at Narissa. She nods and one of the pixies steps forward. "Hello Miss, Henry," they greet. They both smile down at the pixie as they continue, "We would just like to say thank you for bringing us here when you came, and thank you for the playground to play and grow with. But we have do have one request." They look nervously back at their family of pixies behind them before turning their attention back to Henry and Regina. "Would it be possible for us to make the garden bigger? There is no longer enough pollen for all of us," they explain to the two humans before them.

Regina nods, unsure of what else to do, "Sure, we could maybe discuss a way to expand, if you'd like."

The pixie smiles, "Thank you, Ma'am," they say, bowing their head slightly. "Oh, and could you maybe refrain from removing our homes? We promise we know how to care for your garden and we'll keep it looking beautiful."

Narissa and Henry laugh as Regina scowls but then softens and nods.

"Alright, Children," Narissa calls, "Back to bed," she calls as she encourages them to move back to the flowers at the front of the house. When they have all disappeared back inside the flowers and the bushes she whispers, "Sleep well, loves," and waves her hands, sending out a small wave of magic that brushes over them.

"That was awesome," Henry whispers as he looks inside the flowers and sees a few pixies, but not nearly as many as were sitting outside a moment ago.

"Some were merely for show," Narissa answers his unspoken question. "They made it look more terrifying when they swarmed in huge numbers. You really only have about twenty pixies living around your house."

"Only?!" Regina exclaims. "Those pranksters have been in my town this whole time? Now how do I know which trouble is caused by them or by the delinquent children running amuck?"

Narissa smiles and shakes her head, "These pixies would never do anything to cause you any extra stress or harm," she explains. "They love you; you're their family. You gave them a home, a place to grow things, and they love and appreciate that. That's why it was so easy for them to come out and help. Yes, they love to cause a bit of trouble, but they care about their family more than that." Regina doesn't know what to say. "Let's go back inside," Narissa suggests. She waves her hand and the horses are sent back to their stable.

"Ooh!" Henry calls, "I have a question for you." He turns on the step of the porch and stops Narissa and his mom from entering the house. His confused grandparents behind them. It's silent as they wait for him to ask his question. "Can you tell me about your history with the Blue Fairy?"


	12. Chapter 12

Henry is practically bouncing on the couch when Narissa finally settles into the chair next to him. "Careful, you'll poke a hole in the chaise," she reminds as she daintily tucks one ankle behind the other and delicately lays her hands on her lap, posture straight. She flicks her wrist and a mug, of what appears to be tea, appears in her hand.

"I just can't wait," Henry gushes, "This has been at the top of my list and this is the first time we've had you here where I've remembered to ask!"

Narissa chuckles, "Alright, what would you like to know?" she asks, taking a sip of her tea.

"Have you always known Blue?"

She nods, "I was there when the fairies were created. I watched as the Reul Ghorm strayed from her path and began _choosing_ who was deserving of wishes."

"So, why didn't you stop her?" Henry asks, not realizing how tactless that was.

Narissa sits up straighter, if that's even possible. "The Fae are not all-powerful controllers. We created creatures to help humanity. It was never an option to stop those that stray. We must each make decisions to lead us down our own path. I do wish the other fairies were stronger, that they felt like they could _choose_ to disagree with their leader. Unfortunately, she was able to corrupt them all, and the dwarves." She shakes her head, "But, it's their right to make decisions."

"Is there a reason no one stopped Blue?" Henry asks.

"Like I said, she made her own decisions," Narissa states simply.

Henry looks confused, eyebrows drawn down, "Is this what you were talking about the last time you talked with Blue?" he asks. It's Narissa's turn to look confused so he elaborates, "When Blue showed up in the house last time, you said we didn't know her secret. What is it?"

A look of understanding crosses Narissa's face. She sits back in the chair, resting her arms on the sides. It looks as if the chair will swallow her whole, but the smirk on her face causes Henry to giggle in anticipation. "What do you know of the Reul Ghorm?"

"Just that she is the leader of the fairies. She was Mother Superior during the curse. And she helped Grandma and Grandpa in the Enchanted Forest."

Narissa rolls her eyes, "The Reul Ghorm does not help people, she uses them to better herself."

"Now that's not true," Charming states.

"Oh?" Narissa asks, turning her attention to the shepherd prince. "You're telling me she has always told you the entire truth? Especially when you explicitly ask for it?" He's silent. "She keeps important information to herself when it does not help her get her way."

"Just wait," Charming starts, ready to defend the fairy.

"She knew two people could fit through that wardrobe. Yet, she kept that to herself. Time and again she lied to you. Used you in her own personal vendetta. And you're too blind to see it." She scoffs, "She tells you what she thinks you need to know, and everything else she keeps to herself."

There's silence as both Snow and Charming think back on their interactions with Blue. "She did it to protect us," Snow justifies.

Narissa rolls her eyes, "Is that what she told you?" She shakes her head. "She's not whole. That's her secret."

Another silence, everyone is confused. "What do you mean?" Henry finally asks.

"Have you ever heard of Jekyll and Hyde?" she asks. Henry nods and she's surprised, "Good. So, you know that he split himself from the evil inside him."

"You're saying...that the Blue Fairy….also split herself into good and evil?"

"Not quite," she explains. "When you're entirely good, you don't lie. And you _certainly_ don't lie to protect yourself. There's nothing good about that. When she used the serum to separate her good side from her evil side, it was an attempt to make herself better than her Fae creators. She thought that by getting rid of the evil inside her, she would become more powerful."

"And did she?" Henry asks, sitting at the edge of the couch, hanging on her every word.

"Certainly not the way she anticipated. She, herself, became more powerful. But not more powerful than the Fae that created her." Narissa takes a deep breath, "And she released an evil upon the world that no one was prepared for."

"What do you mean?" Snow asks softly, not wanting to interrupt Narissa's story, but also wanting to know more.

"She created the Black Fairy."

"You're telling me that the Blue Fairy and the Black Fairy are the same person," Charming deadpans, not believing for a second. "The best and worst fairies are actually the same? Impossible."

"People said the same about a shepherd prince, yet here we are," she retorts. Regina can't help the smirk that takes over her face as she watches Narissa finish her story. "She was the Reul Ghorm. But she wanted to be purer, to be a better leader. Someone that would lead troops into battle. Someone that would be perfect in every way. But her plan backfired. She not only created the darkest creature in the forest, she was also not split equally. Her heart still had dark spots. Since the darkness was not completely removed, it grew and she continued to have evil within."

"It didn't work," Henry surmises.

Narissa nods, "That's exactly right," she says with a smile. "So, she still has some darkness within her, still growing and changing her. And now we have the rest of her darkness embodied in the strongest fairy ever created."

"But the Black Fairy was banished, wasn't she?" Henry asks, thinking back to the stories he's read.

"Yes," she agrees. "She was banished to the Dark Realm. The Blue Fairy sent her there, hoping no one learned of her secret."

"Is she stuck there?" Henry asks, unable to contain his questions.

Narissa shakes her head, "For a long time she was able to freely travel between the Dark Realm and the Enchanted Forest. She went undetected by the fairies for centuries. She even had a child. That's when she grew strongest. She realized she needed children around her to reach her maximum magical potential. Then, the fairies found her and banished her back to the Dark Realm once more. With the new banishment, the Black Fairy was no longer able to travel between the realms. However, she was able to escape long enough to steal a child before the realm would force her back."

"She stole children from other realms?" Henry asks, horrified. Narissa nods, "What did she do with them?" he asks, afraid of the answer.

"They mined for dark fairy dust."

"There were no dwarves to do it for her," he surmises. Another nod from Narissa.

"Who was her child?" Regina asks, not bothering to hide her curiosity.

Narissa pauses, looking at the matching faces staring at her. She offers a small smirk as she whispers, "Rumplestiltskin."

Snow gasps and clings to her husband's hand.

"No. Way." Henry says, completely in awe.

Regina says nothing, just sits back to process what she just learned.

"Actually, that makes sense," Henry decides. "The Enchanted Forest was a weird place and honestly I'm not all that surprised." He pauses and then looks back at Narissa, "How do you know this?" he asks.

"I know everything," she explains, tapping the side of her nose. She laughs when Henry rolls his eyes, "I was there when this happened. The Fae watched over the fairies as they turned away from their true purpose. We watched as the Reul Ghorm split herself in two to become more righteous, to become a better leader. We saw what she did to her other self, the banishment." She scoffs and rolls her eyes, "We watched as the Black Fairy made a name for herself. As she embraced her darkness while her other half did everything she could to hide the darkness left within her."

"Did you see the Black Fairy stealing kids?" Henry asks.

Narissa looks down at her lap, "She never took children from our realm, but we had our assumptions," she reveals softly.

"You just let her steal children from their homes? From their families?"

She sighs, "It's not our job to interfere in the lives of humans like that. We created the fairies to grant wishes for humans on our behalf. But to interfere with daily life like that? It was impossible," she tries to explain. "It was much easier once I thought I was human. I didn't recognize of the weight behind each decision, I could just do what my heart and mind told me was right. As a Fae, everything must be weighed against possible repercussions. There are too many possibilities to account for. Keeya would have been disappointed if we interfered in human life in such a haphazard way."

"That sounds like a cop-out," Henry says, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Perhaps," Narissa allows, "But it is the way of the Fae."

"And who made that rule," he asks, eyebrows drawn together.

"I did," she answers without hesitation.

He stares at her, trying to see behind her mask. _What is she hiding back there?_

"More than enough to carry for lifetimes," she answered his unasked question.

Henry pauses, eyes wide before he asks, "Can you read minds?"

Narissa smiles, releasing the softest of chuckles before she shakes her head, "No, but you're just like your mother; you wear your emotions on your face."

He looks to his mother who offers a small smile. Then he turns back to Narissa, "I still think you can read minds."

"If it helps, then by all means, Young Prince, believe what you must."

"Do we have time for more questions?" Henry asks, looking between the two women before him.

Narissa looks to Regina who says, "One more. Then it's time to get ready for bed and let Narissa rest."

Henry nods and looks back to Narissa. "I have so many questions! But I know you won't answer all of them." Narissa chuckles and he shakes his head, "I know I won't ever get a real answer for how old you are, except that you're essentially timeless and have been around pretty much _forever_ , so I'll skip that one." He continues on down his list. "You don't remember anything from after the curse, so that's off limits. For now," he adds, he _will_ ask Narissa; as soon as she remembers. "Oh! I know! How did you and my mom meet?"

"Oh, now _that's_ a long story," Narissa says with a smirk.


	13. Chapter 13

Henry is practically bouncing on the couch when Narissa finally settles into the chair next to him. "Careful, you'll poke a hole in the chaise," she reminds as she daintily tucks one ankle behind the other and delicately lays her hands on her lap, posture straight. She flicks her wrist and a mug, of what appears to be tea, appears in her hand.

"I just can't wait," Henry gushes, "This has been at the top of my list and this is the first time we've had you here when I've remembered to ask!"

Narissa chuckles, "Alright, what would you like to know?" she asks, taking a sip of her tea.

"Have you always known Blue?"

She nods, "I was there when the fairies were created. I watched as the Reul Ghorm strayed from her path and began _choosing_ who was deserving of wishes."

"So, why didn't you stop her?" Henry asks, not realizing how tactless that was.

Narissa sits up straighter, if that's even possible. "The Fae are not all-powerful controllers. We created creatures to help humanity. It was never an option to stop those that stray. We must each make decisions to lead us down our own path. I do wish the other fairies were stronger, that they felt like they could _choose_ to disagree with their leader. Unfortunately, she was able to corrupt them all, and the dwarves." She shakes her head, "But, it's their right to make decisions."

"Is there a reason no one stopped Blue?" Henry asks.

"Like I said, she made her own decisions," Narissa states simply.

Henry looks confused, eyebrows drawn down, "Is this what you were talking about the last time you talked with Blue?" he asks. It's Narissa's turn to look confused so he elaborates, "When Blue showed up in the house last time, you said we didn't know her secret. What is it?"

A look of understanding crosses Narissa's face. She sits back in the chair, resting her arms on the sides. It looks as if the chair will swallow her whole, but the smirk on her face causes Henry to giggle in anticipation. "What do you know of the Reul Ghorm?"

"Just that she is the leader of the fairies. She was Mother Superior during the curse. And she helped Grandma and Grandpa in the Enchanted Forest."

Narissa rolls her eyes, "The Reul Ghorm does not help people, she uses them to better herself."

"Now that's not true," Charming states.

"Oh?" Narissa asks, turning her attention to the shepherd prince. "You're telling me she has always told you the entire truth? Especially when you explicitly ask for it?" He's silent. "She keeps important information to herself when it does not help her get her way."

"Just wait," Charming starts, ready to defend the fairy.

"She knew two people could fit through that wardrobe. Yet, she kept that to herself. Time and again she lied to you. Used you in her own personal vendetta. And you're too blind to see it." She scoffs, "She tells you what she thinks you need to know, and everything else she keeps to herself."

There's silence as both Snow and Charming think back on their interactions with Blue. "She did it to protect us," Snow justifies.

Narissa rolls her eyes, "Is that what she told you?" She shakes her head. "She's not whole. That's her secret."

Another silence, everyone is confused. "What do you mean?" Henry finally asks.

"Have you ever heard of Jekyll and Hyde?" she asks. Henry nods and she's surprised, "Good. So, you know that he split himself from the evil inside him."

"You're saying...that the Blue Fairy...also split herself into good and evil?"

"Not quite," she explains. "When you're entirely good, you don't lie. And you _certainly_ don't lie to protect yourself. There's nothing good about that. When she used the serum to separate her good side from her evil side, it was an attempt to make herself better than her Fae creators. She thought that by getting rid of the evil inside her, she would become more powerful."

"And did she?" Henry asks, sitting at the edge of the couch, hanging on her every word.

"Certainly not the way she anticipated. She, herself, became more powerful. But not more powerful than the Fae that created her." Narissa takes a deep breath, "And she released an evil upon the world that no one was prepared for."

"What do you mean?" Snow asks softly, not wanting to interrupt Narissa's story, but also wanting to know more.

"She created the Black Fairy."

"You're telling me that the Blue Fairy and the Black Fairy are the same person," Charming deadpans, not believing for a second. "The best and worst fairies are actually the same? Impossible."

"People said the same about a shepherd prince, yet here we are," she retorts. Regina can't help the smirk that takes over her face as she watches Narissa finish her story. "She was the Reul Ghorm. But she wanted to be purer, to be a better leader. Someone that would lead troops into battle. Someone that would be perfect in every way. But her plan backfired. She not only created the darkest creature in the forest, she was also not split equally. Her heart still had dark spots. Since the darkness was not completely removed, it grew and she continued to have evil within."

"It didn't work," Henry surmises.

Narissa nods, "That's exactly right," she says with a smile. "So, she still has some darkness within her, still growing and changing her. And now we have the rest of her darkness embodied in the strongest fairy ever created."

"But the Black Fairy was banished, wasn't she?" Henry asks, thinking back to the stories he's read.

"Yes," she agrees. "She was banished to the Dark Realm. The Blue Fairy sent her there, hoping no one learned of her secret."

"Is she stuck there?" Henry asks, unable to contain his questions.

Narissa shakes her head, "For a long time she was able to freely travel between the Dark Realm and the Enchanted Forest. She went undetected by the fairies for centuries. She even had a child. That's when she grew strongest. She realized she needed children around her to reach her maximum magical potential. Then, the fairies found her and banished her back to the Dark Realm once more. With the new banishment, the Black Fairy was no longer able to travel between the realms. However, she was able to escape long enough to steal a child before the realm would force her back."

"She stole children from other realms?" Henry asks, horrified. Narissa nods, "What did she do with them?" he asks, afraid of the answer.

"They mined for dark fairy dust."

"There were no dwarves to do it for her," he surmises. Another nod from Narissa.

"Who was her child?" Regina asks, not bothering to hide her curiosity.

Narissa pauses, looking at the matching faces staring at her. She offers a small smirk as she whispers, "Rumplestiltskin."

Snow gasps and clings to her husband's hand.

"No. Way." Henry says, completely in awe.

Regina says nothing, just sits back to process what she just learned.

"Actually, that makes sense," Henry decides. "The Enchanted Forest was a weird place and honestly I'm not all that surprised." He pauses and then looks back at Narissa, "How do you know this?" he asks.

"I know everything," she explains, tapping the side of her nose. She laughs when Henry rolls his eyes, "I was there when this happened. The Fae watched over the fairies as they turned away from their true purpose. We watched as the Reul Ghorm split herself in two to become more righteous, to become a better leader. We saw what she did to her other self, the banishment." She scoffs and rolls her eyes, "We watched as the Black Fairy made a name for herself. As she embraced her darkness while her other half did everything she could to hide the darkness left within her."

"Did you see the Black Fairy stealing kids?" Henry asks.

Narissa looks down at her lap, "She never took children from our realm, but we had our assumptions," she reveals softly.

"You just let her steal children from their homes? From their families?"

She sighs, "It's not our job to interfere in the lives of humans like that. We created the fairies to grant wishes for humans on our behalf. But to interfere with daily life like that? It was impossible," she tries to explain. "It was much easier once I thought I was human. I didn't recognize the weight behind each decision, I could just do what my heart and mind told me was right. As a Fae, everything must be weighed against possible repercussions. There are too many possibilities to account for. Keeya would have been disappointed if we interfered in human life in such a haphazard way."

"That sounds like a cop-out," Henry says, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Perhaps," Narissa allows, "But it is the way of the Fae."

"And who made that rule," he asks, eyebrows drawn together.

"I did," she answers without hesitation.

He stares at her, trying to see behind her mask. _What is she hiding back there?_

"More than enough to carry for lifetimes," she answered his unasked question.

Henry pauses, eyes wide before he asks, "Can you read minds?"

Narissa smiles, releasing the softest of chuckles before she shakes her head, "No, but you're just like your mother; you wear your emotions on your face."

He looks to his mother who offers a small smile. Then he turns back to Narissa, "I still think you can read minds."

"If it helps, then by all means, Young Prince, believe what you must."

"Do we have time for more questions?" Henry asks, looking between the two women before him.

Narissa looks to Regina who says, "One more. Then it's time to get ready for bed and let Narissa rest."

Henry nods and looks back to Narissa. "I have so many questions! But I know you won't answer all of them." Narissa chuckles and he shakes his head, "I know I won't ever get a real answer for how old you are, except that you're essentially timeless and have been around pretty much _forever_ , so I'll skip that one." He continues on down his list. "You don't remember anything from after the curse, so that's off limits. For now," he adds, he _will_ ask Narissa; as soon as she remembers. "Oh! I know! How did you and my mom meet?"

"Oh, now _that's_ a long story," Narissa says with a smirk.


End file.
